PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission for how many days a month the non-executive directors of the National Audit Office are expected to work in return for their annual remuneration.

Alan Williams: The time commitment for the non-executive members of the NAO Board is approximately two days per month. The remuneration for the position is £20,000 per annum; the position is non-pensionable. The time commitment for the chairman of the NAO is one day a week. The remuneration is £50,000 per annum; this position is also non-pensionable.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the total value is of Olympic contracts awarded to  (a) UK-registered and  (b) other firms to date.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 November 2009
	 I have referred this question to the Olympic Delivery Authority. I will write to the hon. Member when I have received a reply, and I will place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Olympics 
	(1)  how many Olympic  (a) contracts and  (b) construction contracts have been awarded to firms based in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) England and (e) other countries;
	(2)  what the monetary value is of Olympic  (a) construction contracts and  (b) other contracts that have been awarded to firms based in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) England and (v) other countries.

Tessa Jowell: I have referred these questions to the Olympic Delivery Authority. I will write to the hon. Member when I have received a reply, and I will place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games 2012: River Thames

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what estimate has been made of the  (a) compensation and  (b) other costs associated with the closure of the River Thames for the duration of the rowing events at the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: No decision has been made to close any section of the River Thames for the duration of the rowing events, which are being hosted at Dorney Lake, Windsor, for either the Olympic Games or the Paralympic Games.
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for staging the event and is keen to keep the river open. Together with the Olympic Delivery Authority, LOCOG is currently undertaking feasibility work around the venue to determine the requirements. It will then consult with all interested parties on the detail of the plans before submitting relevant applications through the planning process in 2010.
	As a company limited by guarantee, LOCOG's costs related to the venue will be met by its budget, which is almost entirely privately-financed through sources such as sponsorship, ticketing, merchandise and broadcast rights.

PRIME MINISTER

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen; and how many officials from No. 10 Downing Street plan to attend.

Gordon Brown: Yes. Information on all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 is published on an annual basis. Information for 2009-10 will be published in the normal way.

Community Hero Receptions

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister which hon. Members have been invited to attend Community Hero receptions in 10 Downing Street.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 624W.

Members: Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if it is his policy that the terms of the Wilson Doctrine in respect of the  (a) telephone tapping,  (b) other interception of communications and  (c) electronic surveillance of hon. Members should remain in force; and in how many instances since 1975 such interceptions have not yet been reported to the House.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ruislip Northwood (Mr. Hurd) on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1028W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Paul Goggins: Since 6 June 2006 there have been no allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing made by Northern Ireland Office staff.

Departmental Equal Pay

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms there are to ensure his Department complies with equal pay legislation.

Paul Goggins: The Cabinet Office requires Whitehall Departments to carry out equal pay reviews. In consultation with trade unions, the Northern Ireland Office carried out an equal pay review which concluded in March 2009.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Shaun Woodward: The number of  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors to my Department's website received in 2008-09 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Page hits  Unique visitors 
			   2008  2009  2008  2009 
			 January 371,709 354,697 24,507 22,677 
			 February 323,421 337,061 22,927 23,572 
			 March 356,368 384,081 29,149 30,691 
			 April 428,044 301,818 28,829 24,945 
			 May 449,473 370,406 28,350 23,315 
			 June 501,941 257,233 28,297 19,793 
			 July 463,098 722,552 20,631 18,890 
			 August 383,870 298,577 18,458 17,942 
			 September 441,252 398,871 22,379 19,746 
			 October 559,138 364,315 27,814 22,925 
			 November (1)- (1)- (1)- n/a 
			 December 493,436 n/a 20,491 n/a 
			 (1) Figures for the Northern Ireland Office website are not obtainable for November 2008 due to a changeover from our web statistic provider.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Shaun Woodward: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish online, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online- only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Paul Goggins: In the last 12 months there have been no jobs advertised by Northern Ireland Office that were online-only applications. Applications for positions can be submitted online or as a hard copy.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the number and proportion of staff in the Northern Ireland Office, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies who work flexibly or part time at 24 November 2009.
	
		
			   Total staff  Number of part-time staff  Percentage 
			 Northern Ireland Office Core 1,329 171 12.9 
			 Forensic Science Northern Ireland 210 29 13.8 
			 Compensation Agency 70 6 8.5 
			 Youth Justice Agency 77 12 15.6 
			 Northern Ireland Prison Service 2,387 234 9.8 
			 Non-departmental Public Bodies 95 14 14.7 
		
	
	Within the Northern Ireland Office, staff are expected to work conditioned hours; however there is a considerable amount of flexibility in the way staff are permitted to work. Flexible working time (that is, a flexible start and finish each day) is available to the majority of staff where operational/business needs permit.
	In line with the Employment (NI) Order 2002, the Northern Ireland Office has processes in place to allow staff to request flexible working hours to enable them to balance their family and employment responsibilities.

Weapons: Decommissioning

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with  (a) loyalist groups and  (b) the Irish Government on decommissioning of arms; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Minister of State and I meet regularly with the Irish Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the Irish Justice Minister to discuss a range of issues, including decommissioning.
	The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning reported to both Governments in September that they believe the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando had completed the decommissioning process. The IICD also reported that they had overseen an act of decommissioning by the Ulster Defence Association and been given a commitment that the UDA will complete the decommissioning of their arms before the expiry of the Commission's final mandate.
	The decommissioning amnesty will come to an end in February 2010 and I encourage all those groups that hold illegal weapons to engage with the Commission as these arms have no place in normal society.

TREASURY

Angad Paul

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with Angad Paul in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Banks: Loans

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the provision of  (a) mortgages and  (b) other loans by UK banks to existing borrowers who have not defaulted on their mortgages; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his earlier question of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 777W, on this matter.

Banks: Regulation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make the appointment of directors of banks the responsibility of bank employees, borrowers or depositors.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1808W.

Child Care Vouchers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the average time taken to transfer payments from child care vouchers to child care providers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not administer child care voucher schemes. Generally child care voucher provider companies are contracted by employers to do the administration on their behalf.

Departmental Scientists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) civil servants in scientific posts there are in his Department.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There are no specific scientific adviser posts or posts that require in-depth scientific knowledge in HM Treasury.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms are in place for the valuation of non-market impacts; and if he will make it his policy to collect data on happiness levels in respect of each income decile.

Stephen Timms: The Green Book is HM Treasury's guidance on appraisal and evaluation in central Government, including the valuation of non-market impacts. Annex 2 outlines techniques for valuing non-market impacts, and some typical applications.
	The Government publish information on life satisfaction, broken down by socio-economic class, as part of the sustainable development indicators published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, available at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/documents/SDIYP2009_a9.pdf
	The British Social Attitudes survey also occasionally asks questions on self-reported happiness, broken down by income band, most recently in 2008; it is available at
	http://www.britsocat.com/Body.aspx?control=HomePage

Dunfermline Building Society: Finance

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid from the public purse to  (a) consultants,  (b) accountants,  (c) legal advisers and  (d) other financial advisers for work connected with management of the assets of Dunfermline Building Society.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No advisory fees have been paid from the public purse in connection with the management of the assets of Dunfermline Building Society. The assets of the society are being managed by the administrator, KPMG, whose fees are paid from the receipts generated through administration of the assets.

Financial Services: Education

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which bodies the Government have asked to perform functions on behalf of the consumer financial education body to be established by the Financial Services Bill.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Provisions in the Financial Services Bill allow the consumer financial education body (CFEB) to ask other bodies to support it in fulfilling its function. This will allow CFEB to partner with organisations to deliver the money guidance service and other financial capability programmes. The Government have not asked any bodies to perform functions on behalf of CFEB. This will be a matter for the FSA in its planning to set up CFEB, for CFEB on its establishment and for negotiation with the bodies concerned.

Pensioners

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the hon. Member for Stroud's correspondence with the Director of HMRC National Insurance Contributions Office ref DCT/158006, when he expects resolution of the matter to enable the hon. Member's constituent Mrs. Campbell to receive her pension; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The National Insurance Contributions Office resolved the disagreement over the national insurance record of my hon. Friend's constituent on 23 November 2009. On the same day the Pension Service was notified, and are now in position to determine the amount of state retirement pension due.

Public Expenditure

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much central Government expenditure which cannot be attributed to geographical parts of the country there has been in each year since 1997; how such expenditure is calculated; and what proportion of all central Government expenditure such expenditure constituted in each such year.

Liam Byrne: The Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) is an annual statistical exercise that is undertaken to allocate expenditure by country and region. For the purposes of the CRA, all departmental expenditure on services is classified as 'identifiable' (benefiting individual regions) or 'non-identifiable' (benefiting the UK as a whole). Spending that is classified as 'non-identifiable' is not allocated to specific regions.
	The latest figures for non-identifiable expenditure can be found in chapter 9, table 9.1, of the PESA 2009 publication:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa09.htm
	This table also shows non-identifiable expenditure as a proportion of Total Managed Expenditure (TME). For your convenience, this information is provided below. PESA 2009 gives information for all years back to 2003-04. We cannot provide data further back than 2003-04 on a comparable basis.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   National Statistics 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			   Outturn  Outturn  Outturn  Outturn  Outturn  Plans 
			 Identifiable expenditure 380,233 407,998 434,363 454,043 481,866 519,139 
			 Non-identifiable expenditure 59,182 62,641 66,960 68,960 73,346 80,936 
			 Total expenditure on services 439,416 470,639 501,046 523,003 555,211, 600,075 
			 Accounting adjustments 16,193 22,119 23,563 26,936 28,854 23,046 
			 Total managed expenditure 455,609 492,758 524,609 549,939 584,065 623,121 
			
			  As a percentage of total managed expenditure   
			 Identifiable expenditure 83 83 83 83 83 83 
			 Non-identifiable expenditure 13 13 13 13 13 13 
			 Total expenditure on services 96 96 96 95 95 96 
			 Accounting adjustments 4 4 4 5 5 4 
			 Total managed expenditure 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			  Source: Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses

Tax Yields: Gambling

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross gaming yield from remote gambling has been in each month since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport gave him on 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1326W.
	HMRC are not currently able to publish detailed figures for the revenue collected from Remote Gaming Duty while maintaining taxpayers' confidentiality.

Taxation: Scotland

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Scottish Executive Parliament has powers to vary rates of  (a) air passenger duty and  (b) other taxes applicable to aviation.

Liam Byrne: No powers exist under which the Scottish Executive could vary air passenger duty or other taxes applicable to aviation.

Ulster Bank: Pay

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was first informed that Ulster Bank was withholding payment of contractual bonus payments to staff in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland until such time as employees signed a new pension contract; what discussions UK Financial Investments Ltd. has had with the Bank's pension trustees on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
	The Government's shareholdings in RBS are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI). UKFI's objective is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to the maintenance of financial stability, and to act in a way that promotes competition.

VAT: Derelict Land

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek through discussions at EU level to exempt from value added tax the development of brownfield sites.

Stephen Timms: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumer expenditure and reliefs from it have always been strictly limited. The application of VAT reliefs is governed by European agreements, signed by successive Governments. These provide that EU Member States may not extend the scope of existing zero rates and exemptions or introduce any new ones.
	The current agreements were agreed in March this year, after discussions lasting over six years. There is no realistic prospect of amending them, to allow for exemption on supplies connected with the development of brownfield sites, beyond those reliefs we already have.
	Supplies of bare land, such as freehold sales and leases, are normally exempt from VAT. Through Land Remediation Relief (LRR), developers can also claim enhanced tax relief against corporation tax for the costs of clearing up contaminated and derelict brownfield sites. Further information on LRR is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/company-tax/brief2909.pdf
	When constructing a new building, VAT normally has to be charged at the standard rate. However, a zero rate of VAT already applies to the construction of new eligible dwellings and buildings that will be used solely for a relevant residential or charitable purpose, whether on brownfield or greenfield sites.
	Further information is provided on HMRC's website at:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channels PortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000513&propertyType=document

VAT: Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect on  (a) the UK economy and  (b) the UK tourist industry of reducing value added tax for businesses in the tourist industry to 7 per cent.

Stephen Timms: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumer expenditure and reliefs from it have always been strictly limited. EU VAT agreements signed by successive Governments do permit Member States to introduce a number of reduced rates of not less than 5 per cent. on a prescribed list of goods and services. This list does not allow the application of a blanket reduced rate to all tourism-related activities.
	The Government keep all taxes under review. Where reduced rates are available, these have only been applied where they provide the most cost-effective and well-targeted support for the Government's policy objectives compared to other measures.
	Central Government have allocated over £130 million between 2008-09 and 2010-11 to VisitBritain and VisitEngland. However, that is only one aspect of public funding support for UK tourism. The contributions from the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly, the Regional Development Agencies, and local authorities also need to be taken into account.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council of England: Reorganisation

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects the proposed restructuring of Arts Council England to be completed; what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the restructuring; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The proposed restructure of Arts Council England will come into effect at the end of the financial year, so that the new organisation will be in place from the 1 April 2010. The cost of the Organisation Review, which includes recruitment, redundancies and implementing the new work methods, is £4,833,000. However, as a result of these changes we expect to see savings of £6.5million annually from 2010-11 onwards.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assets of his Department are planned to be sold in each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if he will make a statement.  [Official Report, 2 December 2009, Vol. 501, c. 17MC.]

Si�n Simon: The Government have stated their intention to realise £16 billion in asset disposals over the period 2011-14 and will publish further details of opportunities to commercialise business assets in the coming weeks.
	The Prime Minister announced on 12 October 2009 that the Government intend to sell the Tote (the Horserace Totalisator Board), which is currently the fifth largest bookmaker in the UK. The sale process is intended to start in summer 2010 and be completed by no later than March 2011.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the energy  (a) rating and  (b) band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: The buildings occupied by the Department and the Royal Parks Agency that qualify for Display Energy Certificates are listed in the table.
	
		
			   2007  2008  2009 
			  DCMS
			 2-4 Cockspur Street. London Not available Energy rating 187, Band G Re-certification in progress 
			 Queen's Yard, London Not available Energy rating 88, Band D Re-certification in progress 
			  Royal Parks
			 The Old Police House, Hyde Park, London Not available Not available Energy rating 119, Band E 
			 The Sports Pavilion, Regents Park, London Not available Not available Energy rating 55, Band C

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: Between 1 January and 31 December 2008 the DCMS website received:
	 (a) Total page views 19,879,767
	 (b) Unique visitors 996,572
	Between 1 January and 31 October 2009 the DCMS website received:
	 (a) Total page views 18,110,776
	 (b) Unique visitors 946,943

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of maintaining his Department's website in the 2008-09 financial year; and what the forecast cost is of maintaining websites within his responsibility in the 2009-10 financial year.

Si�n Simon: The departmental website is managed in house from existing resources. The additional costs of development, hosting, licences and editorial for 2008-9 were £62,488 running costs and £88,174 capital. The forecast for 2009-10 is running costs of £89,868 and £115,000 capital. These costs cover the main site, the Government Art Collection site and a number of in-house mini-sites.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; what proportion of the total workforce they represented in each year; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The Department makes non-consolidated performance payments to its employees for two purposes: (a) in-year non-consolidated performance payments to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) year-end non-consolidated performance payments to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. These figures are exclusive of two key senior staff in the Government Olympic Executive, who were appointed on fixed-term contracts ending in 2012 and whose remuneration reflects extensive relevant experience and the unique challenge of delivering the Olympics to a fixed deadline. Details of their remuneration were published in the departmental annual reports and accounts 2009. The data are set out in the following tables.
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 Number of staff awarded in year non-consolidated performance payments 144 178 
			 Proportion of work force (Percentage) 28 38 
			 Total cost of payments (£) 69,109 73,700 
			 Largest single non-consolidated payment (£) 2,000 2,500 
		
	
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 Number of staff awarded year end non-consolidated performance payments 235 219 
			 Proportion of work force (Percentage) 46 46 
			 Total cost of payments (£) 451,604 443,467 
			 Largest single non-consolidated payment (£) 13,000 15,000

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) average and  (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment was in cash terms for a senior civil servant in his Department in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 24 November 2009
	The information requested is set out in the following table. They are exclusive of two key senior staff in the Government Olympic Executive, who were appointed on fixed-term contracts ending in 2012 and whose remuneration reflects extensive relevant experience and the unique challenge of delivering the Olympics to a fixed deadline. Details of their remuneration were published in the departmental annual reports and accounts 2009.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Average non-consolidated performance related payments  Highest non-consolidated performance related payments 
			 2008-09 8,210 15,000 
			 2007-08 6,738 13,000 
			 2006-07 5,356 10,000 
			 2005-06 3,576 6,000 
			 2004-05 3,466 7,000

Elgin Marbles

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Board of Trustees of the British Museum about the future management of its Parthenon marble exhibits.

Margaret Hodge: Neither my right hon. Friend, nor I have had any recent discussions with the Board of Trustees. However, he has met the Director of the British Museum and discussed the Museum's capital programme. He has also been briefed by the Director on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures, whose management, as part of the entire collection, is a matter for the Museum and not for Government.

Elgin Marbles

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with his Greek counterpart on exchange of museum artefacts since the building of the new Acropolis museum.

Margaret Hodge: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had such discussions.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Vehicles used by the Department's Ministers and previous permanent secretaries are provided by the Government Car Service managed by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). If any clamping charges were payable, they would have been included in archived GCDA invoices to the Department. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

London 2012 Olympics

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions have taken place with the International Olympic Committee on a potential no-fly zone over  (a) the Olympic Village and  (b) the surrounding areas during the period of the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply 
	as Minister for the Olympics.
	No such discussions have taken place with the International Olympic Committee. Her Majesty's Government are working with the Civil Aviation Authority, NATS (the en-route air navigation services provider), security agencies and other stakeholders to look at all aspects of airspace management for the 2012 games. This work is being developed and no firm decisions have yet been made.

Olympic Games 2012: National Lottery

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much and what proportion of National Lottery grant funding has been provided to the London 2012 Olympics in each year since 2005.

Si�n Simon: The funding provided to Olympic good causes and non-Olympic good causes, respectively, was as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Olympics  Non-Olympic good causes 
			 2005-06 16,525 1,491,715 
			 2006-07 115,759 1,290,283 
			 2007-08 151,229 1,302,247 
			 2008-09(1) 211,063 1,238,785 
			 (1) Provisional outturn, net of Olympic transfers totalling £73 million between the National Lottery Distribution Fund and the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund.

Olympic Games 2012: National Lottery

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much additional revenue the new National Lottery Millionaire Raffle is expected to generate; and what percentage of that revenue will be provided to fund the London 2012 Olympics.

Si�n Simon: The National Lottery Commission holds forecasts for sales performance of new or enhanced National Lottery games, but is unable to release this publicly as the information is commercially sensitive. However, actual sales figures broken down by individual games are available via the following page on the website of Camelot, the National Lottery operator:
	http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/aboutcamelot/ourstrategy.html
	The EuroMillions game, including the new Millionaire Raffle aspect of the game, is not a designated Olympic Lottery game and all proceeds will go to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
	The NLDF is providing a total of £1,085 million to the Olympic Lottery Distributor in 15 transfers between 2009 and 2012. It is not possible to attribute the source of these transfers to individual Lottery games.

Sport

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 248-49W, on sports, how many people of each  (a) sex and  (b) ethnic group participated in each funded sport according to Active People Survey 3 results.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Active People Survey 3 data you have requested will be published in December this year.

Sport: Females

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of the total workforce of each sport governing body in receipt of public funds are women.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally by my Department or our NDPBs. As there are 46 sport governing bodies that are currently in receipt of public funding, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Television

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if his Department will commission research on the possible effects on levels of community engagement of time spent watching television.

Si�n Simon: My Department has no plans to commission such research.

Television

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the time spent by  (a) children and  (b) adults on watching television in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) is the organisation responsible for providing the official measurement of UK television audiences. This information is not held centrally by DCMS, but Ofcom has provided the following information:
	
		
			  Average minutes of viewing per day 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009( 1, 2) 
			 Children (4-15 years old) 142.8 147.7 143.7 135.1 132.3 133.8 138.6 133.0 
			 Adults (15+) 228.0 238.6 237.2 235.2 231.7 233.3 240.2 236.2 
			 (1) Up to 24 November (Q1-Q3). (2) Data for indicative purposes only and is not comparable with other years.  Source: BARB, Network. Total TV. Whole Day.

Television: Licensing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of homes without a  (a) television and  (b) television licence.

Si�n Simon: The proportion of UK households that own a television set is 97.06 per cent. (as of June 2009).
	The television licence evasion rate, as reported in the BBC's 2008-09 annual review, is 5.3 per cent.

Tourism: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Birmingham and  (c) the Tamworth Borough Council area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain have advised the following:
	 (a) There were 1,760,000 overseas visits to the West Midlands in 2008 and average expenditure per head totalled £349 per visit.
	 (b) Overseas visits to Birmingham in 2008 totalled 763,000 and average expenditure per head totalled £337 per visit.
	 (c) Over the period 2005-08, there have been approximately 12,000 overseas visits to Tamworth in each year (due to small sample sizes it is essential to look at a longer period of time for more reliable estimates).
	Estimates for spend in Tamworth are not reliable and so are not given.

Video Games

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) video games and  (b) films have been refused classification by the British Board of Film Classification in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Video games and other interactive  Films (including videos) 
			 2009 0 2 
			 2008 0 2 
			 2007 4 1 
			 2006 0 1 
			 2005 0 7 
			  Source: BBFC.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many external consultants work for his Department.

Ann McKechin: There are no external consultants working for the Scotland Office.

Departmental Crime

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials working in his Department have  (a) been reprimanded,  (b) had their contract of employment terminated and  (c) been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years.

Ann McKechin: No officials in the Scotland Office have been reprimanded, had their contract of employment terminated or have been prosecuted for theft of departmental property.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not procure  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online-only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Ann McKechin: No jobs in the Scotland Office were advertised online only.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) the Advocate-General's Office work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Ann McKechin: All permanent staff in the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice. Any member of staff can request a change to their working pattern and line managers consider requests in line with the policy and guidance of the parent Department.
	Staff below the senior civil service (91 per cent.) can work to a flexi-time agreement and local records are kept of hours worked; 5 per cent. of all staff work part-time, 2 per cent. work compressed hours and 2 per cent. of staff work in a job share partnership. Details of the breakdown of staff by category are not provided as identification of individuals may be possible in view of the numbers involved.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Finance

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many on-farm visits were made in relation to rural development programme schemes in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Both Natural England (NE) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) make on-farm visits in relation to rural development programme schemes.
	NE make agri-environment (AE) agreement visits. These visits by land management experts are to assess the environmental features of the site, to work with the farmer to design and agree the management options that will deliver the most benefit, or to monitor the benefits and suggest improvements (these are distinct from the formal inspections carried out by RPA). NE makes about 26,000 visits to 18,000 farms each year. NE has over 58,000 AE agreements, so this is about one visit every two years, but the visits are focused on areas with the most environmental impact, typically higher level stewardship and environmentally sensitive areas.
	The RPA undertakes on-farm compliance inspections made under land-based rural development schemes. The number of visits made in the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2009 3,180 
			 2008 3,510 
			 2007 3,970 
			 2006 4,215 
			 2005 3,443

Agriculture: Subsidies

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many on-farm inspections were made in relation to  (a) single farm and  (b) hill farm payments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of on-farm inspections made in relation to single payment scheme (SPS) payments and hill farm allowance (HFA) in each of the last five years are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  SPS payments 
			   Type  of inspection  
			   Physical land eligibility  Remote sensing follow up on farm  Cross-compliance  Total number of on-farm inspections 
			 2005 2,067 292 2,055 4,414 
			 2006 1,188 680 4,678 6,546 
			 2007 1,322 1,090 9,072 11,484 
			 2008 1,267 650 11,098 13,015 
			 2009 1,975 (1)217 (1)7,464 9,656 
			 (1) Inspections to date. 
		
	
	
		
			  HFA payments 
			  HFA scheme year  SPS equivalent scheme year  Number of on-farm inspections 
			 2006 2005 544 
			 2007 2006 501 
			 2008 2007 453 
			 2009 2008 356 
			 2010(1) 2009 354 
			 (1) Selection made to date.

Biofuels

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish a table showing the emissions profile of the fuel B30K other than for carbon.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 20 November 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	We are unable to produce a table showing the emission profile for the fuel B30K, as we do not have access to all the necessary detailed emissions information. We are able to extract the methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions arising from combustion of B30K, the biodiesel and fossil components, and upstream emissions. However, the information we hold on the constitution of the biodiesel, FAME (fatty acid methyl ester), is expressed in term of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents and we are unable to unravel the individual component greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the emissions profile is also influenced by the type of engine in which the fuel is burnt.

Cetaceans: Japan

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Japan on the treatment of whales, dolphins and porpoises; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: On 24 October I wrote to the Japanese Fisheries Minister expressing the UK's continued opposition to the killing of whales in the southern and northwest Pacific oceans and to the hunting of small cetaceans in Japanese coastal waters. At this year's International Whaling Commission meeting in June, I raised concerns over the animal welfare implications of small cetacean hunts. The UK also highlighted the plight of the Dall's porpoise in Japan and the high levels of toxic chemicals found in cetacean meat.
	The UK Government will continue to make our position known to Japan at every appropriate opportunity and argue that Japanese whaling operations undermine the credibility of the IWC as an effective organisation for the conservation of cetacean stocks world-wide.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Dan Norris: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on  (a) cut flowers and  (b) pot plants in 2008-09.

Dan Norris: The costs in 2008-09 for cut flowers and pot plants was £25,309.76. It is not possible to split the costs between cut flowers and pot plants as requested.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Dan Norris: DEFRA staff work in a variety of flexible ways. These include:
	part-time working;
	job sharing;
	compressed hours;
	staggered hours;
	term-time working;
	working from home.
	Some 1,693 staff in DEFRA and its agencies work part time as of 31 March 2009. This represents 16 per cent. of the work force. This is an increase of 6 per cent. in three years.
	Information on other forms of flexible working is not held centrally. Many arrangements for flexible working, within contracted hours, may be made informally between managers and staff at a local level and will not therefore be recorded on central systems.
	Information on flexible and part-time working patterns and practices for DEFRA's non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

EU Grants and Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the current underspend is on funding from the  (a) European Regional Development Fund and  (b) European Rural Development Fund which is administered by his Department; and what the total underspend was on European Regional Development Fund allocations in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Dan Norris: The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). CLG has advised that the underspend on the 2000-2006 ERDF programmes in the English regions will not be known until after the final declarations are submitted to the European Commission on 31 March 2010.
	For the 2007-13 ERDF programmes, the 2007 allocation must be spent by 31 December 2009. The operational programmes appear to be on track to meet their spending targets.
	Funds from the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development are allocated over the seven-year period of the Rural Development Programme for England. Unspent funds may be rolled forward under European Commission rules to be spent in future years. DEFRA is working closely with the rural development delivery bodies to re-profile future budgets to realise the environmental and rural outcomes planned for the programme.

EU Grants and Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claimants have  (a) applied for and  (b) been awarded funds under the (i) European Regional Development Fund and (ii) rural development programme for England for (A) the purposes of storing water to prevent flooding down stream and (B) other purposes in the last 18 months.

Dan Norris: The European regional development fund is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). CLG does not routinely collect the data requested; however it is currently doing so. I will write to the hon. Member for Vale of York with the information when I receive it.
	Under the Rural Development Programme for England, DEFRA has not, to date, funded any projects for the purpose of storing water to prevent flooding downstream.
	Under the socio-economic elements (axes 1 and 3) of the Rural Development Programme for England, in the last 18 months there have been approximately 2,550 applications for funding, of which, approximately 1,950 have been approved. These figures do not include agri-environment schemes and the English woodland grant scheme under axis 2.

Floods

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) flood watches,  (b) flood warnings and  (c) severe flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency in each county in each of the last 10 years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the number of flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency in each of its regions from 2006. The warnings are defined as either flood watches, flood warnings or severe flood warnings depending on the likelihood of flooding occurring.
	
		
			  Flood watches issued 
			  Environment agency region  2006  2007  2008  2009( 1)  Total 
			 North West 376 349 411 169 1,305 
			 Midlands 152 466 470 179 1,267 
			 Anglian 129 442 304 117 992 
			 Thames 139 248 324 175 886 
			 Southern 220 180 200 156 756 
			 EA Wales 385 370 427 376 1,558 
			 South West 311 352 463 430 1,556 
			 North East 217 290 290 173 970 
			 Total 1,929 2,697 2,889 1,775 9,290 
		
	
	
		
			  Flood warnings issued 
			  Environment agency region  2006  2007  2008  2009( 1)  Total 
			 North West 25 24 85 49 183 
			 Midlands 44 214 244 26 528 
			 Anglian 13 196 108 54 371 
			 Thames 14 37 37 27 115 
			 Southern 6 13 59 59 137 
			 EA Wales 92 109 176 56 433 
			 South West 97 119 269 124 609 
			 North East 91 277 275 148 791 
			 Total 382 989 1,253 543 3,167 
		
	
	
		
			  Severe flood warnings issued 
			  Environment agency region  2006  2007  2008  2009( 1)  Total 
			 North West 0 0 2 7 9 
			 Midlands 1 22 5 0 28 
			 Anglian 0 25 5 1 31 
			 Thames 0 3 0 0 3 
			 Southern 0 0 1 0 1 
			 North East 0 25 24 1 50 
			 EA Wales 1 0 2 .1 4 
			 South West 0 1 7 0 8 
			 Total 2 76 46 10 134 
			 (1) Figures as of 23:59 on 23 November 2009. 
		
	
	Flood warning information is organised into operational areas based on water management catchments. The information above has therefore been organised by Environment Agency region.
	Before the Floodline Warnings Direct system became operational in January 2006, flood warnings were sent out locally by Environment Agency offices. Information prior to 2006 is therefore not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The numbers of flood warnings are dependent on the weather and the number of sites where warnings are issued. The Environment Agency is constantly adding new areas where flood warning services are provided.

Hunting: Employment

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs in rural areas that have been  (a) created and  (b) lost in each year since 2004 in circumstances directly attributable to the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have made no detailed assessment of the effect of the Hunting Act on the number of jobs lost or created, beyond its normal analysis of the employment situation in rural areas.
	This analysis shows that rural employment was not adversely affected by the implementation of the Act, and there is no evidence that the adverse economic consequences, predicted by opponents of the Hunting Act during its passage, have materialised.

Marine Conservation Zones: Dee Estuary

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to establish a marine conservation zone for the Dee estuary.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Part of the Dee estuary has been accepted by the European Commission as a Site of Community Interest in accordance with the provisions of the Habitats Directive. We now have an obligation to designate the site as a Special Area of Conservation under the Directive. The Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies in England and Wales have also undertaken a consultation on revisions to the existing Special Protection Area (SPA) within the estuary, classified under the Birds Directive. The net effect of these revisions will be to extend the area of the SPA. We expect to make an announcement on these issues shortly.
	Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) together with Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive), and Special Protection Areas under EU Directive 79/409/EEC (the Birds Directive) will contribute to an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas. MCZs will complement the existing site designation and protection measures for European marine sites and in some circumstances may fully or partially overlap with such sites to protect different features.
	We want sea users and other stakeholders to participate in identifying MCZs. We have therefore asked statutory nature conservation bodies to set up regional MCZ projects around the coast of England.
	The Irish Sea Conservation Zone project area includes part of the Dee estuary. All interested parties are being encouraged to participate in the Irish Sea Conservation Zone project to feed in their knowledge and views which will ultimate lead to MCZ recommendations for the project area to Ministers. The project has not yet begun to identify possible MCZs, so I cannot yet say whether an MCZ is being considered as necessary in addition to protection measures provided by the European marine sites in the Dee estuary.
	An MCZ project is also being set up in Wales which will liaise closely with the Irish Sea Conservation Zone project as they cover shared project areas including the Dee estuary.

National Parks Authorities: Local Government

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) the Local Government Association and  (b) the Association of National Park Authorities on the potential for closer co-operation between local authorities and national parks.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We encourage the national park authorities to explore all avenues to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of national park purposes.
	The authorities already work closely with their constituent local authorities and their membership structure provides for the majority being councillors from these local authorities. This close relationship has been further enhanced by the provisions in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Poverty

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in a household formed by a couple in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of children living in couple families below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, 1997-98 to 2007-08, before housing costs 
			Number of c hildren ( m illion ) 
			 1997-98 GB 2.0 
			 1998-99 GB 2.0 
			 1999-2000 GB 1.8 
			 2000-01 GB 1.7 
			 2001-02 GB 1.7 
			 2002-03 UK 1.7 
			 2003-04 UK 1.7 
			 2004-05 UK 1.6 
			 2005-06 UK 1.7 
			 2006-07 UK 1.7 
			 2007-08 UK 1.8 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI), sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The Family Resources Survey is available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. Figures are for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are for Great Britain only. 5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication HBAI series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 6. For the HBAI series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) equivalisation factors. 7. A family is defined as a man or woman living together as husband and wife, including cohabiters. From January 2006, same-sex civil partners are also included in the same benefit unit. A household will consist of one or more families. 8. Number of children in low income have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by her Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Latest available figures show that the proportions of food procured by the Department and produced in the UK are:
	
		
			   Proportion of food (percentage) 
			  (a) Lamb 39 
			  (b) Beef 72 
			  (c)   (e) Poultry (1)80 
			  (d) Pork 47 
			  (f) Other meats (2)- 
			  (g) Vegetables 62 
			  (h) Fruit (3)- 
			 (1 )Separate figures for chicken and turkey are not available. (2 )No figures available for other meats. (3)100 per cent. when seasonally available.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of her Department and  (b) organisations she met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Jim Knight: In its response to a Report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish online, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark) on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 80WS.

Departmental Pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) average and  (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment was in cash terms for senior civil servants in her Department in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The figures are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Average SCS non-consolidated performance related payment  Highest SCS non-consolidated performance related payment 
			 2004-05 4,817 10,400 
			 2005-06 7,150 20,000 
			 2006-07 8,377 26,200 
			 2007-08 9,007 20,000 
			 2008-09 9,372 15,000

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by her Department in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: It is not DWP practice to pay contractors bonuses or incentives. DWP follows National Audit Office advice which recommends that a variety of payment mechanisms should be used in contract pricing. This approach is also endorsed by the Office for Government Commerce in their Guide to Consultancy Pricing.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date she last travelled by train in the course of her official duties.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Secretary of State last travelled by train on 20 November 2009 in the course of her official duties.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training sessions were attended by  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in her Department at public expense in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Training is provided to Ministers and special advisers as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their respective duties effectively under the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Details of training provided to Government Ministers by the National School of Government are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/Ministerial Programme/Table.asp

Employment and Support Allowance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the paths followed by individuals who have failed the work capability assessment of the employment and support allowance (ESA); and what proportion of those found ineligible for ESA claimed  (a) jobseeker's allowance and  (b) income support in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on movement from employment and support allowance to other benefits is not available. The Department has commissioned research which will examine the path of individuals who were found fit for work at the work capability assessment. Publication of this is planned for 2010.

Employment and Support Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research her Department has undertaken into the typical reasons why claims for employment and support allowance are withdrawn before a decision on the claim has been reached.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has commissioned a survey of people who have made a claim for employment and support allowance, which will examine the reasons why claims are ceased before a decision on the claim has been reached. This research will be published in 2010.

Employment and Support Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what sub-categories are used to classify the medical grounds under which claims for employment and support allowance are made; how many claimants in each  (a) support group and  (b) work-related activity group have claimed under each category in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available. The detailed classification under which employment and support allowance data will be collected is being developed.

Employment and Support Allowance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals who commenced a claim for  (a) incapacity benefit,  (b) work-related employment and support allowance and  (c) support group employment and support allowance in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) four quarters had been in receipt of income support immediately prior to their claim commencing.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who have applied for employment and support allowance (ESA) with myalgic encephalopathy alone as their diagnosis have been refused ESA.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available.

Housing Benefit: Post Office Card Account

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had on the possibility of enabling the local housing allowance to be paid into a Post Office card account;
	(2)  what recent assessment her Department has made of the merits of enabling the local housing allowance (LHA) to be paid into the Post Office card account  (a) for tenants receiving LHA,  (b) for tenants who do not have bank accounts,  (c) for local authorities and  (d) for the Post Office;
	(3)  what recent representations she has received on the possibility of enabling the local housing allowance to be paid into a Post Office card account.

Helen Goodman: The Department has had no recent discussions, and only a small number of representations, about enabling housing benefit (HB) calculated using local housing allowance (LHA) rules, to be paid into the Post Office card account (POCA).
	One of the key features of the LHA rules is that, where possible, the benefit is paid to the customer, so that they can take more personal responsibility for their housing, helping them to prepare for when they move into work. In support of this, we want customers living in the private sector to have housing benefit paid into a bank account and to set up a direct debit or standing order to pay their rent to their landlord.
	The POCA is a simple account designed to receive payments of benefits and pensions. It does not have the facility for the customer to set up direct debit or standing order payments and is therefore not suitable to receive payments of HB. The Department has recently signed a new contract with Post Office Ltd. for the POCA and no provision was made for direct debits, standing orders or for HB payments.
	Most people should be able to open a basic bank account which can be used to receive HB and which also has the facility to set up direct debits or standing orders. There are over 25 such accounts, including 17 basic bank accounts which can be accessed at post offices. These accounts enable customers to use their local post office if this is important to them and also provides additional footfall for sub-postmasters.

Housing Benefit: Post Office Card Account

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people receiving local housing allowance who do not have a bank account.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety: Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects the inquiry by the Health and Safety Executive into the circumstances surrounding the firefighter fatalities at Atherstone on Stour, Warwickshire on 2 November 2007 to be concluded; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Work Related Death Protocol provides a framework for co-operation between the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in circumstances such as these. HSE is actively working with Warwickshire police, who currently have primacy in this investigation.
	HSE have taken enforcement action against Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and also advised them on compliance with health and safety legislation. HSE have led the investigation with regard to the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety). The latter includes the responsibilities of the owners of the building. That aspect should be completed very soon. However, as the overall inquiry is being managed by Warwickshire police, I am unable to give any precise or indicative dates. No decisions on individual parts of the investigation will be made until all aspects of this complex and large scale investigation have been completed.

Jobseeker's Allowance: North East

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average period was during which jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants resident in  (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency and  (b) Sunderland received JSA was in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average period during which jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants resident in (a) Houghton  Washington East constituency and (b) Sunderland received JSA was in each of the last 5 years. (301726)
	The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is taken from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. The length of a claim has been defined as the time between the start of an individual's claim and that claim ending. Table 1 shows the median length of completed claims (off-flows) during the October count period of the last 5 years.
	
		
			  Table 1. Median length of completed claims (off-flows) of Jobseeker's Allowance for claimants resident in Houghton and Washington, East parliamentary constituency and Sunderland 
			  Months 
			   Houghton and Washington ,  East  Sunderland 
			 October 2005 7.6 9,6 
			 October 2006 7.8 10.6 
			 October 2007 9.5 9.7 
			 October 2008 7.5 8.3 
			 October 2009 12.8 12.3 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Jobseeker's Allowance: South East Region

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 16 and 24 resident in  (a) Lewes constituency and  (b) the South East have claimed jobseeker's allowance for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last 24 months for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people aged between 16 and 24 resident in (a) Lewes constituency and (b) the South East have claimed jobseeker's allowance for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last 24 months for which figures are available. (301285)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. Table 1 shows the number of persons aged between 16 and 24, resident in Lewes and the South East, who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for over six and 12 months in each month from November 2007 to October 2009.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the Nomis website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  aged 16 - 24 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by duration of claim 
			   Lewes  South East 
			  Duration  Over 6 months  Over 12 months  Over 6 months  Over 12 months 
			 November 2007 30 10 2,340 480 
			 December 2007 30 5 2,220 435 
			 January 2008 40 5 2,445 430 
			 February 2008 45 10 2,455 415 
			 March 2008 40 10 2,595 400 
			 April 2008 35 10 2,725 375 
			 May 2008 35 10 2,745 375 
			 June 2008 35 15 2,700 390 
			 July 2008 30 10 2,575 405 
			 August 2008 30 10 2,875 420 
			 September 2008 40 10 2,760 415 
			 October 2008 40 10 2,550 405 
			 November 2008 35 10 2,615 425 
			 December 2008 40 10 2,720 450 
			 January 2009 50 10 3,360 470 
			 February 2009 60 10 4,015 500 
			 March 2009 75 10 4,685 500 
			 April 2009 85 10 5,430 505 
			 May 2009 95 10 6,405 540 
			 June 2009 75 10 6,795 575 
			 July 2009 70 15 6,685 630 
			 August 2009 80 15 8,395 720 
			 September 2009 80 15 8,720 810 
			 October 2009 85 20 8,430 925 
			 (1) Duration of claims is only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Note: Data rounded to nearest 5  Source: Jobcentreplus Administrative System

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are receiving assistance with their mortgage payments at an interest rate greater than their lender is charging; how much her Department spent on payments to such people in each of the last six months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: This information is not available.

Pipelines: Market Harborough

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will commission research on the likely radius of any damage to local communities that would be caused by an explosion or other disaster following the disruption of the gas distribution pipeline by HM Prison Gartree near Market Harborough.

Jonathan R Shaw: Risk and hazard assessments for natural gas pipelines are based on research carried out over many years by pipeline operators (for example; British Gas, Shell) and HSE. A common understanding has been reached on the types of event that require assessment and these have been used to develop models to determine the hazards from pipeline releases. These models and methodologies are published. Consequently, further research work is not required.

Pipelines: Market Harborough

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the scale of hazard to local communities presented by the gas distribution pipeline by HM Prison Gartree near Market Harborough; and if she will estimate the TNT equivalent of the explosive qualities of the gas in the pipeline.

Jonathan R Shaw: The pipeline being described by the hon. and learned Member is the National Grid Gas (NGG), National Transmission No. 2 Feeder from Duddington to Churchover. The hazards and risks from the pipeline have been assessed by HSE using published models.
	HSE considers that an explosion event is extremely unlikely with this pipeline at this location. Overall, based on HSE's assessment of the hazards, a failure of the NGG No. 2 Feeder at the point closest to HM Prison Gartree should not cause any significant harm to local communities.

Social Security Benefits: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming  (a) incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) income support in Peterborough constituency have been in receipt of that benefit for (i) between five and nine, (ii) between 10 and 11 and (iii) 12 years or over.

Jonathan R Shaw: The most recent available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants for benefits as shown by duration, in Peterborough as at May 2009 
			   5 to 9 years  10 to 11 years  12 years or over 
			 All 1,260 230 1,200 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Incapacity Benefits 930 180 1,030 
			 Income Support Lone Parents 300 40 130 
			 Carer's Allowance 20 10 30 
			 Others on Income Support 10 (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Figures are nil or negligible.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the topmost benefit which they receive: Job seeker-claimant of Jobseeker's Allowance Incapacity Benefits-claimant of either Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance Income Support Lone Parents-Income Support claimant with a child under 16 and no partner Carer's Allowance-where also receiving income support Others on Income Support-those getting Income Support but not in the categories above.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Work Capability Assessment

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who will carry out the independent review of the work capability assessment; how the views and experiences of people with mental health problems and carers will be taken into account in the review; and who will have access to its results.

Jonathan R Shaw: The independent review of the work capability assessment is currently being commissioned and it is not yet known who will be carrying it out. It will begin in the new year and the reviewer will determine how views and experiences of individuals will be incorporated. The report will be published upon completion.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many domestic flights within Great Britain officials from the Government Equalities Office took in an official capacity in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Michael Jabez Foster: In the 2008-09 financial year, Government Equalities Office staff travelled on 44 domestic flights at a total cost of £5,848.25.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in the Government Equalities Office in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Michael Jabez Foster: During 2008-09, the Government Equalities Office spent £5,026 on first-class air travel. The details of which are as follows:
	
		
			  Minister  Origin  Destination  Cost (£) 
			 Barbara Follett London Amsterdam 442 
			 
			 Barbara Follett London New York 4,584

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors the Government Equalities Office's website received in 2008-09.

Michael Jabez Foster: From 23 November 2008 to 23 November 2009 the Government Equalities Office website received:
	 (a) 670,258 page hits;
	 (b) 168,474 individuals who made at least one visit to the site.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Ewing School: Withington

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will visit Ewing school in Manchester, Withington constituency to discuss its work in teaching children with speech and communication difficulties.

Diana Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Educational Attainment: One-parent Families

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on levels of educational attainment among children in one-parent households; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Ministers have received no recent representations on this subject.
	We do not routinely collect data on levels of educational attainment among children in one-parent households but we do hold survey data on GCSE results and progression to A-level for 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2006.
	Data from the 2006 Youth Cohort Survey and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England showed 42 per cent. of children from father-only families achieving five GCSEs at A*-C that year, along with 47 per cent. of children from mother-only families.

School Inspections Framework

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to review the implementation of the new framework for school inspections; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: HM chief inspector is responsible for the school inspection framework and its implementation. I am advised by Ofsted that in addition to its own internal evaluations and quality monitoring, it plans to commission two independent surveys. They will focus on the impact and implementation of the new school inspection arrangements. Both survey reports will be published by the end of August 2010 and the findings will be used to inform future inspection development.

Discipline

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to improve standards of discipline in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: We have made a commitment that all schools will have good behaviour, strong discipline, order and safety. To secure this ambition, we have launched a new strategy to enable all schools to achieve good or outstanding behaviour standards. The strategy includes a range of measures to support and challenge schools. It builds on existing work which has resulted in the numbers of schools with inadequate behaviour being driven down to less than 1 per cent.

Organ and Blood Donation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Health further steps to promote in schools the NHS Blood and Transplant Service Give and Let Live organ donation education programme.

Dawn Primarolo: I can confirm that we are in regular contact with our colleagues in the Department of Health on all aspects of promoting the health and well-being of young people including the importance of blood and organ donation.
	We consider the Give and Let Live programme, produced by the NHS Blood and Transplant Service, to be extremely useful in helping pupils to improve their knowledge and understanding of key issues relating to organ donation.

School Refurbishment: Warrington

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward proposals to fund renovation and building of schools in Warrington; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I informed the House today that Warrington is one of 12 projects that will be joining the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme today. Warrington, alongside Brent, Darlington, Devon, Havering, Kingston and Croydon, Lancashire, Norfolk, Plymouth, Sefton, Tameside, and Wakefield, will embark on their BSF schemes between January and March 2010.

Schools: Discipline

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what misbehaviour by a pupil is  (a) mandatorily informed to parents,  (b) mandatorily not informed to parents and  (c) a matter of discretion.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 Schools are currently not required by law to inform parents about their child's misbehaviour. All schools are required to have a behaviour policy setting out the standards of behaviour expected of all pupils.
	The Government are committed to improving the information that parents receive from schools on their children's behaviour. The Children, Schools and Families Bill includes a new Parent Guarantee which will clarify the rights and entitlements that every parent can expect to receive from their child's school. This will include a new Home School Agreement, which will ensure that all parents understand the expectations of them and their child and the consequences of not acting to support the school in addressing their child's behaviour issues.
	In addition, the Department is currently consulting on amendments to the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, which is the law governing school records and the annual reports that schools send to parents on their children's educational progress.
	The proposals we are consulting on include a new statutory requirement for the head teacher's annual report to include information to parents on their child's behaviour.
	New measures in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 introduce a requirement on governing bodies to put into place a system for recording and reporting to parents significant incidents of the use of force by school staff. The provisions allow that the school may report the incident to the local authority where they believe the pupil is likely to be at risk of significant harm if they reported the incident to parents. These provisions are expected to come into force from 1 September 2010.

Schools: Sanitation

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 200W, on schools: buildings, whether the discussions with the Paediatric Continence Forum on the adequacy of water and toilet provision in schools are to cover  (a) minimum standards of provision for existing schools and (b) the design of toilet facilities in new build secondary schools covered by the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Vernon Coaker: The discussions with the Paediatric Continence Forum on 1 December will include these issues.

Schools: Sports

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whose responsibility it is to ensure that disabled children are offered opportunities to participate in inter-school games on a similar basis to that on which other children have such opportunities.

Iain Wright: holding answer 23 November 2009
	It is the responsibility of head teachers to ensure there is adequate provision of PE and sport for all their pupils, including those with a disability. They are supported in this role through their PE teaching staff and the Government-funded network of School Sport Co-ordinators and Primary Link Teachers across their School Sport Partnership. In addition, the national network of 225 competition managers are working within and across School Sport Partnerships to ensure there are sufficient opportunities in competitive sport for any pupils who want them.
	The Government take disability sport very seriously and are investing £2.4 million in the current spending period to provide 450 multi-sport disability clubs, identifying ability days across the country, 1,350 teachers trained to identify ability in young disabled people, and over 400 regional and county disability multi-sport festivals.

Teenage Pregnancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many girls older than 12 and younger than 18 years old became pregnant in each local authority area in 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: Annual under-18 conception data for 2008 are not yet available. They will be published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in February 2010.

Free School Meals

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals did not achieve five GCSEs at A* to C in 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Between 2002 and 2008, the percentage of free school meals pupils achieving five GCSEs at A*-C rose by 17 percentage points, compared to a 13.3 percentage point rise for non-Free Schools Meals pupils-so GCSE attainment for all pupils is rising over time, and gaps are narrowing.
	The 2009 GCSE results broken down by pupil characteristics will be published on 15 December.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels: Boilers

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he intends to take to ensure that boilers fired by the fuel B30K remain compliant with sections of table 12 draft Standard Assessment Procedure 2009 and cannot be switched to operate on other heating oils.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 We are liaising with the industry to ensure they are taking steps to guard against a switch to using other heating oils. We understand that the industry plan to check that the installation is labelled as suitable for the grade of fuel to be delivered before any delivery commences.
	The potential problems associated with switching would also be a deterrent. The conversion of a boiler to burn the kerosene/bio-liquid blended fuel B30K is not easily reversible, at least not without further costs for adapting the burner and flushing the oil tank. The B30K blend has different material properties to 100 per cent. kerosene at ambient and operational temperatures and burning kerosene in a B30K installation would lead to boiler firing problems and damage to the equipment.

Departmental Consultants

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultancy contracts his Department has signed since January 2006 with expert advisers on the preparation of the  (a) Energy White Paper and  (b) Nuclear Power White Paper respectively; and what the monetary value of such contracts is in each case.

David Kidney: No external expert advisers were employed on preparation of the 2009 UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and the 2008 White paper on Nuclear Power.
	For details on the cost of external consultants in preparation of the 2006-07 Energy Review process, culminating in the Meeting the Energy Challenge White Paper, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 896W.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: DECC has a target to find £20 million of savings in 2010-11 as part of the Operational Efficiency Programme. £17.5 million of this will be found from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's non-programme budgets and £2.5 million from savings in core DECC budgets, including through collaborative procurement. These targets will be met through a combination of innovation and strict control of expenditure.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Joan Ruddock: DECC has no executive agencies.
	For DECC's non-departmental public bodies, the Coal Authority, Committee on Climate Change and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority have made no such payments.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) pays its site license company parent body organisations (PBOs) (effectively contractors) performance-based incentives against delivery of site lifetime plans. Increased productivity allows the PBO to earn fees for delivering key targets within a defined timeframe. The PBOs are also incentivised to make cost savings.
	NDA's payments to PBOs are published in their annual report and accounts. Payments for the last three years are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 128 
			 2007-08 97 
			 2008-09 73 
		
	
	NDA does employ consultants for some projects , but specific details of any bonus or incentive arrangements would be commercially confidential.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what weight of paper his Department has recycled since its creation.

Joan Ruddock: Since DECC's inception in October 2008, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) manage the Department's estate, including recycling services.
	DECC occupies two floors of Atholl House which has six in total. From October 2008 to October 2009 Atholl House recycled 20,800kg of paper. It is not possible to provide a split for DECC only.
	For both Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall the figure for recycled paper is 66,503kg from 1 October 2008 to 20 November 2009. It is not possible to provide a split for Whitehall Place only. From October 2008 to mid-April 2009, DECC shared Whitehall Place with DEFRA.

Electricity

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department have had with the private sector on Power Factor Correction.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Department's officials regularly discuss energy efficiency technologies, and policies that support them, with the private sector. However we have not had specific discussions regarding Power Factor Correction.

Electricity

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has undertaken any recent research on Power Factor Correction and carbon dioxide emissions.

Joan Ruddock: Neither I nor my officials have conducted research into Power Factor Correction recently.

Electricity

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage the installation of Power Factor Correction equipment.

Joan Ruddock: Power Factor Correction can make significant energy savings in certain installations.
	The Government-funded Carbon Trust helps businesses determine whether this is a useful technology for them through free telephone advice and energy saving site surveys. The Trust's small and medium-sized business loans scheme can be used for energy saving technologies, including PFC. Budget 2009 provided an additional £83.9 million for the scheme for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Electricity

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department have had with Ofgem on Power Factor Correction.

David Kidney: Neither I nor officials from the Department have recently discussed Power Factor Correction with Ofgem.

Electricity Generation

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to electricity generation projects using  (a) tidal power,  (b) wave power,  (c) wind,  (d) biomass,  (e) hydro power and  (f) clean coal in the last three years.

David Kidney: The Department has allocated funding through the following programmes from 2006-09:
	Offshore wind capital grants programme-a total of £38,900,000(1)
	Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme-£5,082,000
	Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme (in two rounds)-£969,000.
	The Renewables Obligation is not funded by DECC but for information, it has provided approximately £2.6 billion of funding for renewable energy technology projects (of all types) in the period 2006-09. This is for all generation by eligible technologies, so includes hydro, wave and tidal, onshore and offshore wind, biomass (dedicated and co-fired) as well as eligible waste technologies.
	HMG also provides funding through other delivery partners and for research, development and demonstration projects which are not yet operational-this is the case for tidal, wave, and clean coal.
	(1)( )The figure for offshore wind capital grants programme is accurate to September 2009.

Energy Performance Certificates

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of commercial undertakings in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority area in England which have obtained an energy performance certificate in respect of the premises they occupy.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no centrally held information upon which to base such an estimate.

Nuclear Decommissioning Agency: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency has made to Bell Pottinger in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

David Kidney: Over the period in question NDA used Bell Pottinger to provide strategic communications advice, stakeholder research and parliamentary monitoring services. Payments made were as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006 32,000.00 
			 2007 166,860.53 
			 2008 190,673.70 
			 2009 46,242.90

Nuclear Engineering: Training

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many courses there are in the country to train nuclear engineers.

David Kidney: There are a number of courses available in the UK to train nuclear engineers ranging from apprenticeships to post graduates. This includes 11 universities which run nuclear related courses.
	A summary of courses available is as follows:
	Apprenticeships in Engineering, offered across the National Skills Academy for Nuclear provider network
	NVQs in Decommissioning and Radiation Protection
	New Foundation Degree Engineering (nuclear) developed between the Skills Academy and Portsmouth and Central Lancashire Universities
	Award for Nuclear Industry Awareness
	Certificate of Nuclear Professionalism under development
	NTEC Masters Programme
	Variety of HE programmes detailed on-
	http://nuclearliaison.com/nl-courses including circa 11 universities and 20 courses.

Nuclear Power: Planning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria will be used to appoint commissioners to the Infrastructure Planning Commission's review of the proposals contained in the national nuclear policy statements issued on 9 November 2009.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Earlier in the year we appointed a chair, two deputy chairs and a number of salaried commissioners. On 15 November we launched a further competition for the appointment of commissioners to a register. I have placed the job advert and person specifications in the House Library.
	The IPC does have a role as a statutory consultee narrowly on whether national policy statements are fit for purpose but not on national policy.

Renewables Obligation: Water Power

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to increase the level of assistance provided by his Department through the Renewables Obligation to  (a) tidal stream,  (b) wave and (c) other emerging renewable energy technologies under his Department's marine action plan; and when he expects that plan to be published.

David Kidney: The Government plan to publish their marine action plan by spring next year. This action plan will set out the key steps which will need to be taken by both Government and industry to support the mass deployment of wave and tidal stream technologies going forward. Areas considered will include the level and availability of grants, loans, capital provision, and revenue support through the Renewables Obligation.

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments the UK Atomic Energy Authority has made to Grayling Political Strategy in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

David Kidney: Grayling Political Strategy was appointed by UKAEA as public affairs consultant in April 2004 after a competitive tendering process following the passage of the Energy Act 2004 and a period of significant change in the industry.
	UKAEA had to respond and restructure during this time in a manner which would offer best value for money for the taxpayer. Grayling provided the services of: public affairs strategic advice, support with key stakeholder engagement and national media support.
	The contract has now expired. However payments to Grayling Political Strategy in the last three years were as follows:
	2008-09: nil
	2007-08: £34,488
	2006-07: £140,923.

TRANSPORT

A5: M1

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the answer of 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 58W, on the A5-M1 link, under what budget headings the £11.8 million was spent.

Chris Mole: The £11.8 million has been spent on preparing the scheme to achieve particular milestones. To date, these have included:
	Options identification including options to be taken to public consultation, assessment of environmental impact and economic benefits.
	Options selection including public consultation, public exhibitions and preferred route announcement.
	Preliminary design (current phase) including surveys (geotechnical, environmental etc.), preliminary design of the preferred route and additional design resulting from the transfer of works from the M1 J10-13 Improvements Scheme, preparation for publication of draft orders and the draft orders public exhibitions.
	Lands costs including property purchased under blight.
	The scheme is being progressed through the Major Projects Project Control Framework (PCF).
	The PCF process involves a number of products/reports to be produced or reviewed in each stage. Further information, if required, in regard to these products can be found on the Highways Agency website-Road Projects: How we manage our roads.

Aviation: Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the real terms cost of travelling by air was in each year since 1997, taking 1997 as the baseline.

Paul Clark: The following table shows the average UK one-way air fare, including taxes and charges, covering domestic and international flights:
	
		
			  Average UK one-way airfare, 1997 prices 
			   £ 
			 1997 204 
			 1998 193 
			 1999 164 
			 2000 159 
			 2001 144 
			 2002 130 
			 2003 113 
			 2004 108 
			 2005 101 
			 2006 104 
			 2007 94 
			 2008 94 
			  Notes:  1. 'Fare' includes all taxes and charges.  2. Covers domestic and international scheduled flights, but excludes transfer and charter passengers.  3. Improved domestic dataset based on a sample of routes in Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) passenger interview surveys used, domestic fares exclude Channel Islands.   Source:  Department for Transport analysis of CAA and IPS data.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not have plans to host any Christmas parties in 2009. Staff may organise their own internal social events to celebrate Christmas but these would be funded by the staff members themselves. It is not considered appropriate to use public money to fund such events.
	As such, the Department does not record the provenance of any food or drink served at Christmas parties.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: Specific departmental targets for the Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) have not been set for the current spending review period.
	However, the Department for Transport is fully committed to operational efficiency, and to improving both our efficiency and effectiveness in the provision and purchasing of back-office services and associated assets. We have undertaken a high-level review of our scope for business improvement, and have embarked upon change and improvement work programmes particularly focused on finance, human resources and procurement. Each of these programmes is co-ordinated and overseen centrally by a new board sub-committee, the Business Process Programme Board.
	These work programmes will leave us well placed to contribute to the savings anticipated for the next spending review period in the OEP report, published alongside the Budget in April 2009.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport website (www.dft.gov.uk) received 19,894,211 page impressions from 3,478,952 unique visitors in the financial year 2008-09.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road incidents where one or more drivers did not have insurance took place in Norwich North constituency in the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: No information is held on uninsured driving on a constituency basis.

Driving: Licensing

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which a system of graduated driver licences fulfils the four tests set out in his Department's October 2008 consultation, Learning to Drive.

Paul Clark: An assessment of graduated licensing was undertaken as part of the development of our Learning to Drive consultation paper. This concluded that the introduction of graduated licensing restrictions here would bring extensive social and economic costs, and highly uncertain benefits.
	There were almost 7,000 responses to the consultation showing a general support for our view that an approach based on education and incentives, through better training and testing, is the best way to improve the safety of newly-qualified drivers.
	We continue to monitor any emerging evidence relating to increased regulation and post-test restrictions, including evidence from other countries.

Driving: Licensing

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the conclusion in October 2008 of his Department's consultation, Learning to Drive, what consideration he has given to the potential effect on the number of deaths of young drivers of the introduction of a system of graduated driver licences.

Paul Clark: Estimated average casualty reductions, for each of the options considered in the Consultation, were included in the Impact Assessment published alongside the Learning to Drive consultation paper:
	
		
			  Option  Estimated reduction in deaths per annum  Estimated reduction in serious injuries per annum 
			 B-improved driver training and testing 16-65 116-466 
			 C-restrictions on learner drivers 3-14 21-103 
			 D-restrictions on newly qualified drivers 17-34 121-241 
			  Source: Tables 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 from Impact Assessment of proposed changes to car driving training and testing 
		
	
	In addition to providing lower casualty reductions, the placing of post-test restrictions on newly-qualified drivers would also bring extensive social and economic costs. People learn to drive for many reasons and most young people want to be law abiding, safe drivers. Graduated licensing would have many adverse effects for the responsible majority, such as restricting access to education and evening jobs.

Heathrow Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of flights  (a) arriving at and  (b) taking off from Heathrow Airport were late in 2008; and what the (i) maximum and (ii) average delay was in that year.

Paul Clark: The following table shows the percentage of flights  (a) arriving at and  (b) taking off from Heathrow airport which were late in 2008 and the average delay. Information relating to maximum delay is not available:
	
		
			   Arrivals  Departures 
			 Number of flights matched 234,154 234,456 
			 Percentage late 33.0 37.5 
			 Average delay (minutes) 18.5 19.3 
			  Note:  The airline industry standard for on-time departures/arrivals is within 15 minutes of the advertised time. Percentage late is therefore flights departing/arriving 15 minutes or more after the advertised time.  Source:  CAA punctuality statistics.

Inquiries: Devon

Hugo Swire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when his Department plans to respond to the Napoli public inquiry conducted by Devon County Council.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport's Maritime and Coastguard Agency has assembled a list of recommendations relating to maritime transport issues from a range of reports concerning the MSC Napoli incident, including the report of the local public inquiry conducted by Devon county council. Work is in progress to assess these recommendations, and the conclusions will be placed in the public domain in due course.

National Express East Coast

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to safeguard the employment of workers employed at the customer contact centre at Baron House, Newcastle following the relinquishing of the franchise for the East Coast Main Line by National Express.

Chris Mole: The customer contact centre at Baron House is operated by National Express. The contract for the services provided by the contact centre with respect to East Coast was transferred from NXEC Trains Limited to East Coast under a Statutory Transfer Scheme. The ongoing contract to provide these services is a commercial matter between National Express and East Coast trains.

Network Rail: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what factors he took into account when deciding what funding should be allocated by Network Rail for railway station upgrades in response to the Station Champions report; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The £50 million was announced in response to the Station Champions' specific recommendation about the need for and level of priority funding to improve the 10 major interchange stations that were identified in their report as being in most need of urgent attention. We will also challenge the industry and local government to raise part of the money required for each of the stations themselves.

Norwich-London Railway Line

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was spent rebranding trains or rolling stock used on the Norwich to London railway line in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08,  (c) 2008-09 and  (d) to date in 2009-10.

Chris Mole: Rebranding of rolling stock on the Norwich to London railway line is a commercial matter for the operators on the route. As such, the Department for Transport does not have information related to how much was spent rebranding trains or rolling stock used on the Norwich to London railway line in the years in question.

Pedestrian Crossings

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of road crossing regulations in ensuring the safety of blind and partially-sighted pedestrians.

Sadiq Khan: The regulations and Department for Transport guidance which apply to controlled pedestrian crossings were developed through consultation with relevant groups to take account of the needs of blind and partially-sighted pedestrians.
	The Department for Transport has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of the regulations on the safety of blind and partially-sighted pedestrians.

Railways

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the National Policy Statement on National Networks will be published; and which bodies have been consulted in its preparation.

Chris Mole: The National Networks National Policy Statement will be designated following parliamentary scrutiny and full public consultation. To facilitate this, it is planned to publish it in draft form early next year.

Railways: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure that accurate rail pathing data are available before determination of the planning appeal into the strategic rail freight interchange proposal for the former Radlett Aerodrome site.

Chris Mole: I cannot comment on a development proposal which is currently under consideration in the planning system or comment on a specific matter relating to that proposal. However, it is Government policy to support the development of a network of strategic rail freight interchanges across the regions to assist mode shift (from road to rail), to reduce lorry journeys and reduce carbon.

Rolling Stock

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average age is of the rolling stock used on mainline railway services in England.

Chris Mole: The average age of the UK rolling stock fleet as of the end of October was 16 years.

Shipping: Training

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 638W on shipping: training, on what dates he has met representatives of Nautilus International to discuss seafarer training in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: I met Nautilus International on the following dates:
	29 July 2009
	6 October 2009
	At these meetings a number of issues were discussed including seafarer training.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what date he expects the first of the new carriages for the Thameslink line to be in operation.

Chris Mole: The first of the new Thameslink carriages are expected to enter passenger service in 2013.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department has used to assess potential recruits to the Afghan police force.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD has no involvement in the assessment of potential recruits for the Afghanistan National Police (ANP). The Government of Afghanistan are responsible for the recruitment of all members of the ANP which, in June 2009, numbered in the region of 80,000.
	The UK Government contribute to the training of ANP personnel through the provision of Police Mentoring Teams and support to the embryonic Helmand Police Training Centre. Currently the UK has policing experts deployed in Afghanistan, who serve in both EU and US Police Missions. In addition to these experts, since 2006, UK troops have worked with the ANP in a mentoring role in Helmand Province.
	That said, investigations into the incident on 3 November in which five UK soldiers were killed by an individual wearing a Afghan National Police uniform are continuing. Both ISAF and the Afghan authorities have expressed their considerable regret over the incident, and all are clear that the investigations into this matter should be thorough and that any necessary subsequent action will be taken.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the number of qualified helicopter pilots available for operations in Afghanistan over the next two years.

Bob Ainsworth: Helicopter operations are vital to success in Afghanistan, and we are providing effective training to ensure that there are sufficient trained crews, including pilots. Following their initial training at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury, pilots conduct operational conversion training in the UK, and theatre specific pre-deployment training with their squadron on the aircraft types that they will be flying in Afghanistan. These arrangements are serving us well, and meeting our requirement for qualified pilots, but we keep them under review to ensure that we continue to sustain operational capability.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many months on average of pre-deployment training armed forces personnel receive prior to their deployment in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: For all services, pre-deployment training starts at basic training where military and common core skills are taught. This process takes 12 months on average to complete.
	Building upon those core skills, personnel undertake theatre specific individual training prior to deploying on operations. The training required is based upon the individual's previous experience of operations, the time since they last deployed to an operational theatre, and the role they would be expected to conduct when deployed. Assuming that an individual is current with all forms of basic military skills, the Royal Navy personnel undertake an additional four weeks of specific training, and Army and Royal Air Force personnel undertake between two and four weeks of additional training.
	A second element of pre-deployment training is concerned with the preparation of a formed unit. This collective training is determined by the role the unit is to undertake, including the possible need to re-role, for example, moving from a non-infantry to an infantry role.
	Training is continually evaluated to ensure our armed forces are suitably prepared for a number of eventualities. Determination of an average time scale for the pre-deployment training of a formed unit would require a manual search of records of training for all units and sub-units, which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he made of the flying hours of  (a) UK and  (b) coalition partners' helicopters and aircrew in Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Since November 2006, there has been a 95 per cent. increase in UK battlefield helicopter flying hours, and further increases are planned over the coming months, in line with enhancements to our helicopter capability.
	In addition, and as part of the wider NATO effort, US, Dutch, Canadian and Australian helicopters are available to commanders in southern Afghanistan. Details of the flying hours undertaken by our Allies are not available, but I can confirm that their helicopters, along with the UK's, are an essential part of the multinational pool available to Regional Commander (South) and they continue to make a significant contribution to operational tasking.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving military personnel in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force have been placed in temporary accommodation as part of an authorised reconciliation period in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: This information is held neither centrally nor in the format requested.

Armed Forces: Per Capita Costs

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent per soldier on new individual equipment in each year since 2001; and how much is planned in each of the next five years.

Bill Rammell: The cost of the equipment which is issued to individual recruits on their entry into Army training is currently in the region of £860.
	Additional clothing and equipment is issued dependent on the role to be undertaken. For example, Osprey Body Armour and personal weapons are not issued on a permanent basis but prior to undertaking a task that requires their use.
	The levels of future expenditure will therefore be determined by the varied roles our service personnel continue to undertake.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision has been made for enhanced postal services for armed forces personnel serving abroad over the Christmas and new year period.

Bill Rammell: The MOD will be making all possible efforts to ensure deliveries of mail to members of the armed forces serving abroad over the Christmas and new year period. In the UK extra staff have been hired by the British Forces Post Office to manage the increased volumes of post. Additional aircraft are being chartered as necessary to transport mail from the UK to theatre with additional service personnel being allocated to this task in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.
	We are also doing all we can to channel the public's generosity towards service charities and away from unsolicited parcels, which have the ability to overload the system and cause delays for mail from families.

Armed Forces: Telephone Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to provide extra minutes of free talk time above normal allocations over the Christmas and new year period for armed forces personnel serving abroad.

Bill Rammell: Armed forces personnel and MOD civil servants serving abroad on operations routinely receive 30 minutes free talk time during Christmas week from the Ministry of Defence. This is in addition to their regular weekly allocation, which is a minimum of 30 minutes, dependant on tour length. These allowances are provided under the WelComE (Welfare Communications Everywhere) project, which forms part of the Deployment Welfare Package.
	This year, during the week of new year, they will also receive an additional 30 minutes from Paradigm, the communications company responsible for providing the WelComE service, to mark its tenth anniversary.

Armed Forces: Young People

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces registered before their 18th birthday an unhappiness with their choice of career as grounds to leave the armed forces in each of the last three years.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held centrally or in the format requested. Service personnel elect to leave the service for a variety of reasons, some of whom decide to rescind their decision. To determine the number of service personnel specific to the criteria requested could only be obtained by a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.

Army: Languages

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Army have been sent on the specialist 10-week Pashto language course.

Bill Rammell: The 10-week Pashto language course has been delivered since 2006. The throughput of Land Forces personnel, which includes the Royal Marines, is as follows by financial year:
	
		
			  FY  Personnel 
			 2006-07 38 
			 2007-08 84 
			 2008-09 76 
			 2009-10 to date (1)70 
			 2010-11 (2)156 
			 (1 )It is estimated that a total of 91 personnel will have completed this course by the end of the financial year. (2) Estimate. 
		
	
	The rise in numbers reflects an increased requirement to provide deploying brigades with language capability to enhance interaction with the Afghan population.

Army: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving infantry soldiers there are in the Army.

Bill Rammell: At 1 October the infantry had 2,740 trained officers against a liability of 2,520 and 21,350 trained soldiers against a liability of 21,999.
	This represents an increase of 40 in officer strength and 1,470 in soldier strength over the last 12 months. This results from a combination of a greater number of recruits entering training and passing out into the field Army, coupled with an improvement in retention. While this may be attributed in part to the economic climate, a combination of infantry-specific financial incentives and Army-wide retention measures have also had an impact.

Army: Training

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of infantry recruits did not complete their training at the Infantry Training Centre in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The following table sets out the numbers of infantry recruits who commenced their basic training at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick (ITC(C)) and who failed to complete their training.
	
		
			Number of recruits who fail to complete their training (as a percentage of those starting) 
			  Financial year  Number of recruits commencing thei r initial training at ITC (C)  Number  Percentage 
			 2009-10 2,969 910 30.7 
			 2008-09 3,828 1,141 29.8 
			 2007-08 3,458 1,180 34.1 
			 2006-07 3,398 1,037 30.5 
			 2005-06 2,517 892 35.4 
			 2004-05 2,420 837 34.6 
			 Note: Figures for 2009-10 are as at 20 November 2009. 
		
	
	Those who leave do so for a variety of reasons. Some find that they are not suited to a career in the Army; others leave for medical reasons or find that they cannot reach the high standards required by the Army. Importantly, every recruit who leaves ITC(C) does so only after staff have thoroughly explored all options to retain them.

Defence Equipment

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the land forces equipment budget was allocated to aviation in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The percentage of the land equipment budget which has been allocated to aviation for the period 2008-09 to 2018-19 is 38 per cent.
	This figure is the percentage of the core programme budgeted expenditure for aircraft platforms and equipments used primarily in support of land forces; and those platforms where there is a shared service element.

Departmental Drinking Water

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on bottled water in each of the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Expenditure on bottled water used within the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Bottled water is supplied through multi-activity, private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts. In accordance with Government policy on sustainable procurement, the supply of bottled water is to be removed from such contracts, where drinkable tap water is available.
	Separately, bottled water is supplied to service personnel under the MOD world-wide food supply contract. Expenditure against the current contract for each of the last 12 months is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Value (£000) 
			 November 2008 51.7 
			 December 2008 43.7 
			 January 2009 23.2 
			 February 2009 34.1 
			 March 2009 56.5 
			 April 2009 40.3 
			 May 2009 53.8 
			 June 2009 78.3 
			 July 2009 124.5 
			 August 2009 137.6 
			 September 2009 155.3 
			 October 2009 394.2

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements relating to information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence has not held contracts which contain exclusivity agreements for the provision of information technology hardware or software over the last five years.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Bob Ainsworth: In their response to a Report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish online, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Property

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours were spent filming by external organisations at locations owned by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what budget headings his Department's allocation to the  (a) Afghanistan Delivery Groups,  (b) Tri-Departmental Stabilisation Unit and  (c) Conflict Pool referred to in his Department's Winter Supplementary Estimate for 2009-10 will be spent.

Bob Ainsworth: As outlined by the Foreign Secretary in a written ministerial statement on 25 March 2009, the newly combined conflict pool subsumes all activity under the conflict prevention pool and Stabilisation Aid Fund. Since this change occurred halfway through the financial year, the headings under which they appear in the parliamentary estimate have to remain as detailed at main estimates. Since then, it has been confirmed that the overall responsibility for the conflict pool rests with DFID and as such, the funding rests on that baseline.
	The MOD will continue to run those programmes for which we have the necessary experience and technical knowledge. The £6.729 million indicated in the WSE represent the transfer of authority of those funds that the MOD no longer maintains financial authority for, as responsibility for all previous SAF programmes has now moved to DFID. Activities carried out by the MOD in terms of the SAF and CPP can be seen the Departmental Resource and Accounts:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReport0809/

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training sessions were attended by  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in his Department at public expense in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: Training is provided to Ministers and special advisers as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their respective duties effectively under the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Details of training provided to Government Ministers by the National School of Government are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/Ministerial Programme/Table.asp

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Bob Ainsworth: The information on how many staff who work part-time is published in the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) Civilian Manpower Statistics report, released in November 2009. This can be found at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	The data requested on the numbers of staff in non-departmental public bodies who work flexibly are not held centrally. We do have data on the number of staff in agencies and trading funds who work part-time. The figures are shown in the table.
	The MOD provides a range of working patterns that supports the matching of the business needs with those of the individual. Very few posts are deemed unsuitable for alternative patterns of work. The civil service job share website is available to part-time staff wishing to find job share partners.
	
		
			  Headcount 
			   1 April 2009 
			  MOD Executive Agency/Trading Fund Organisation  Part time  Full time  Total  Proportion (percentage) 
			 Defence Storage And Distribution Agency 105 2,660 2,770 3.8 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 45 380 430 10.5 
			 Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency 170 7,540 7,720 2.2 
			 People Pay and Pensions Agency 220 960 1,180 18.7 
			 Service Children's Education 1,090 220 1,310 83.2 
			 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency 330 710 1,030 31.7 
			 Ministry of Defence (less agencies) 4,680 47,070 51,760 9.0 
			  
			 Core MOD 6,640 59,550 66,200 10.0 
			  
			 Meteorological Office 150 1,750 1,900 7.8 
			 Defence Evaluation And Research Agency 320 3,260 3,580 9.0 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 110 880 990 11.0 
			 Defence Support Group 120 3,260 3,390 3.7 
			  
			 Trading fund total 700 9,150 9,860 7.2 
			  
			 Core MOD and trading fund total 7,350 68,710 76,060 9.7 
			  Notes: 1. All numbers have been individually rounded to the nearest 10, and may total to sub totals and overall totals. 2. Percentages have been calculated from raw unrounded numbers. 3. Totals exclude personnel employed in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and locally engaged civilians (LECs) for whom part time/full data is not available.  Source: DASA (Quad-Service)

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agencies have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Kevan Jones: MOD policy directs that all Service personnel and MOD civilians using vehicles provided by the Department, including privately owned vehicles used for official duties, must have a valid driving licence for the type of vehicle being used together with an appropriate level of insurance for private vehicles. Responsibility for applying this policy and checking compliance lies at business unit level.
	MOD Personnel and MOD Transport policy directs that all business units, including agencies, provide advice on road safety to all staff. Such advice is normally provided by Defence Road Safety Advisors or at unit level by Unit Road Safety Officers. This advice is supplemented and supported by a rolling programme of campaigns such as the Defence Road Safety Week (23-27 November 2009). The policy also provides guidance for line managers on causes of impairment of driving and preventative measures, and on accident reporting requirements which also apply to private vehicles being used on official duties. It is a requirement that all incidents or accidents resulting in fatality or serious injury are investigated and lessons identified shared to prevent recurrence.

Members: Correspondence

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the letter of 14 July 2009 from the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey's constituent A.R.F. Carter.

Bill Rammell: I replied to my hon. Friend yesterday. I sincerely apologise for the time it has taken to reply. This has been due to an administrative error.

RAF Welford

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects RAF Welford to be placed under care and maintenance arrangements from September 2010.

Kevan Jones: There are no plans for RAF Welford to be placed under care and maintenance arrangements.

Special Reconnaissance Regiment: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment are based in Northern Ireland.

Bill Rammell: It is the long-standing policy of this and previous Governments not to comment on matters relating to UK special forces, as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Submarines

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on  (a) the interim storage of laid-up submarines project and  (b) the submarine dismantling project to date.

Bill Rammell: The ISOLUS (interim storage of laid-up submarines) project was renamed the submarine dismantling project (SDP) in May 2009. As it remained the same project, and the name change was implemented over a period of time, it is not possible to clearly distinguish between expenditure under each of the two names. A reasonable approximation, however, would be to consider expenditure from financial year 2009-10 as being under the SDP name, and expenditure in previous years as being under the ISOLUS name.
	For expenditure on the project up to the end of financial year 2008-09, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 54W. The current forecast spend on the project in financial year 2009-10 is £3.8 million.

Weapons

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many weapons for which his Department has responsibility have been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last 12 years;
	(2)  how many armed forces weapons were recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 24 November 2009
	The following tables set out details of Ministry of Defence firearms recorded as lost/stolen during each of the last 12 calendar years, or in the case of 2009 to date. With the exception of the latest figures for 2009, this information is already in the public domain having been provided in response to previous parliamentary questions. Some minor adjustments have been made to a small number of previously provided figures to reflect the latest available information.
	
		
			  Lost weapons 
			   Pistols  Rifles  Sub-machine guns  Machine guns 
			 1998 0 0 0 0 
			 1999 2 0 1 0 
			 2000 0 1 0 0 
			 2001 3 0 2 0 
			 2002 3 4 4 0 
			 2003 3 1 0 0 
			 2004 10 3 0 0 
			 2005 3 7 0 0 
			 2006 11 20 0 6 
			 2007 16 9 0 0 
			 2008 17 12 0 0 
			 2009 2 7 0 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Stolen weapons 
			   Pistols  Rifles  Sub-machine guns  Machine guns 
			 1998 3 12 0 0 
			 1999 0 9 0 0 
			 2000 21 2 0 0 
			 2001 3 3 0 0 
			 2002 2 0 0 0 
			 2003 6 0 0 0 
			 2004 10 15 0 0 
			 2005 5 9 0 0 
			 2006 6 6 0 0 
			 2007 9 18 0 0 
			 2008 20 14 0 3 
			 2009 13 9 0 0

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Council

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to mark the 75(th) anniversary of the British Council.

Chris Bryant: The 75(th) Anniversary of the British Council has been marked with a programme of events and exhibitions across the UK. These have included: a series of lectures and debates about international education, science, art and culture, exhibitions from the British Council art collection in London, Swansea and Belfast, a film tour in Scotland and a concert of UK and international musical collaborations held in London. Activities have been open to the public and have attracted over 20,000 people to date.

Colombia: Overseas Trade

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the organisation Justice for Colombia on the negotiation of a free trade agreement between the European Union and Colombia; what assessment he has made of those representations; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: We have not received written representations directly from Justice for Colombia on this issue, although delegates of a Justice for Colombia visit to Colombia in April 2009 raised it with our Ambassador in Bogota and Justice for Colombia has regularly raised it with us directly.
	We believe that free trade agreements can help to create the right circumstances for improved stability, where human rights stand a better chance of flourishing. Denying Colombia access to the economic opportunities presented by a multi-party trade agreement would undermine this prospect. We believe that any free trade agreement must have clear and enforceable human rights clauses.

Departmental Contracts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1420W, on departmental pay, what the name is of each employer supplying staff in London working on services contracted out by his Department, including on contracts that have been sub-let and business that has been awarded where the contract is not exclusive to London; what the nature is of the work undertaken on each contract; how many staff at each  (a) grade and  (b) location work on each contract; what the length of each contract is; and what union recognition agreements are in place with each contractor.

Ivan Lewis: Responsibility for contracting for services is devolved to individual directorates, departments and overseas posts within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office against the provision of central advice and guidance. Each directorate, department and post would need to be contacted to obtain the details requested, requiring additional resource which would exceed the current threshold for disproportionate cost.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) seeks best value for money which is the optimum combination of whole-life costs and quality to meet the requirements. Contracts in the FCO are awarded to the 'most economically advantageous tender' as defined in the UK regulations implementing EU directives. The regulations list a number of criteria, by way of example, that contracting authorities can use to identify which tender would be the most economically advantageous. These award criteria include price, delivery or performance dates, running costs, cost-effectiveness, quality, aesthetic and functional characteristics, after-sales service and technical assistance.
	No records are kept on how much is spent on the advertisement of tenders, although many of our contracts are advertised in the  Official Journal to the  European Journal and via the FCO's websites, at no direct cost.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Chris Bryant: In 2008-09 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) entire web platform received 203,590,731 page views and 34,712,798 visitors, of which, 26,040,659 were unique visitors. These figures include page views and visitors to all of our 250 departmental websites. They represent a significant increase on the FCO's 2007-08 figures.
	In 2008-09 the FCO's corporate website
	www.fco.gov.uk
	received 56,098,612 page views and 11,508,398 visitors, of which, 9,113,289 were unique visitors.
	These statistics exclude robots, spiders, performance monitoring and automated link checking.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Chris Bryant: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers meet a variety of individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. A record of all individuals met is not held centrally.
	A list of organisations met by Ministers is regularly placed on the FCO website at:
	http://foi.fco.gov.uk/en/released-documents/view-releases/releases-date-2009

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to his Department was of the provision of office facilities to  (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides its staff with a safe, effective and modern working environment within the context of historic buildings whose internal configuration cannot easily be changed. The space occupied by Press Office staff, and cost of their facilities, varies according to staffing levels throughout the year. Press Office uses communal facilities such as meeting rooms and break out spaces which are shared with other staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It is therefore not possible to state accurately the cost of office facilities for Press Office.
	The space and cost of the offices provided for Special Advisers is similar to the reply given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Gillian Merron, on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1755W, except that for a period of six months in 2008-09 there was an additional Special Adviser who had an office. The costs within the FCO buildings for an individual office cannot be accurately identified as all costs are compiled by building.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Chris Bryant: This information is not held centrally, and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training sessions were attended by  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in his Department at public expense in each of the last three years.

Chris Bryant: Training is provided to Ministers and special advisers as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their respective duties effectively under the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Details of training provided to Government Ministers by the National School of Government are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/Ministerial Programme/Table.asp

Fiji: Politics and Government

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the political situation in Fiji.

Chris Bryant: The UK remains seriously concerned about the situation in Fiji, particularly following developments in April 2009, when the regime abrogated the constitution, suspended the courts and introduced Public Emergency Regulations, including press and media censorship. We are particularly concerned that the regime has ruled out elections before 2014, and we have called for a prompt return to democratic processes and institutions. Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth on 1 September 2009. The UK maintains that an inclusive and open dialogue with all parties in Fiji, as well as international partners, is needed to help Fiji make an early and successful return to a democratically elected Government. We continue to raise our concerns over the human rights situation in Fiji in UN and EU fora.

Fiji: Politics and Government

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of Fiji, with particular reference to the recent expulsion from Fiji of the High Commissioners of  (a) Australia and  (b) New Zealand; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: As Minister responsible for the Pacific I issued a strong press statement expressing disappointment at the expulsion of the Australia and New Zealand envoys to Fiji on 3 November 2009. I spoke to the Foreign Ministers of both countries on 4 November 2009 to offer our continued support. Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have spoken to Prime Minister Bainimarama. Our High Commissioner in Suva called on him on 10 November 2009 to convey our deep disappointment at the expulsions.

Forced Marriage

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of forced marriages involving at least one British citizen which took place in  (a) the UK and  (b) each other country in each year since 1997; and how many such citizens were (i) male and (ii) female.

Chris Bryant: The very nature of forced marriage means that cases often go unreported. The joint Home Office-Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) are working with governmental and non-governmental partners to build the best statistical picture possible. The statistics we do have are based on the work of the FMU since its establishment in 2005 and are fuller from 2008 when a new system of recording data was implemented.
	 Statistics for 2009 (January to end October):
	1,327 instances in which the FMU gave advice or support related to possible forced marriage.
	286 cases of forced marriage, including both assistance and immigration cases, dealt with by the FMU.
	14 per cent. were male and 86 per cent. were female.
	The geographic balance of cases associated with other countries/regions was as follows: Pakistan (57 per cent.), Bangladesh (10 per cent.), India (8 per cent.), Turkey (2 per cent.), Africa (1 per cent.), Afghanistan (1 per cent.), and other (7 per cent.). 14 per cent. of cases were solely linked to the UK or were of unknown origin.
	 Statistics for 2008:
	1,618 instances in which the FMU gave advice or support related to possible forced marriage.
	420 cases of forced marriage, including both assistance and immigration cases, dealt with by the FMU.
	15 per cent. of victims were male and 85 per cent. female.
	The geographic balance of cases associated with other countries/regions was as follows: Pakistan (57 per cent.), Bangladesh (13 per cent.), India (7 per cent.), Middle Eastern (3 per cent.), Africa (2 per cent.), Turkey (1 per cent.), Afghanistan (1 per cent.), European (1 per cent.), and other (4 per cent.). 11 per cent. of cases were solely linked to the UK or were of unknown origin.
	 Statistics for 2007:
	262 cases of forced marriage, including both assistance and immigration cases, dealt with by the FMU in the UK and overseas.
	 Statistics for 2006:
	182 cases of forced marriage, including both assistance and immigration cases, dealt with by the FMU in the UK and overseas.
	 Statistics for 2005:
	152 cases of forced marriage, including both assistance and immigration cases dealt with by the FMU in the UK and overseas.

Gulf Cooperation Council: EU External Trade

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards the signing of a EU free trade agreement with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Following the 19th EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on 29 April 2009, discussions between the EU and the GCC over the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) continue. The Government remain committed to securing an FTA between the EU and GCC.

India: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political stability of Orissa province.

Ivan Lewis: We have seen no reports suggesting that Orissa is politically unstable. Orissa has a stable local government and the Chief Minister was returned for a third time in the recent national elections. India's internal security is solely a matter for the Indian Government and state level authorities.

India: Religious Freedom

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has offered to the Indian Government on the restoration of religious tolerance in Orissa.

Ivan Lewis: We have not provided direct assistance to the Indian Government to restore religious tolerance in India. The Indian Government have not requested such assistance. However, we welcome the efforts made by the Indian authorities to uphold the right to freedom of religion of all its citizens under the Indian constitution.

Israel: Arms Control

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the  (a) provenance and  (b) destination of the shipment of arms seized by the Israeli navy off the coast of Cyprus in November 2009; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The information provided by the Government of Israel to the UN Security Council in early November alleging that it had intercepted an arms shipment (on the Francop ship) from Iran to Syria potentially indicates a serious breach of both UN Security Council Resolutions 1737 and 1701. It also appears to be part of a pattern of arms shipments from Iran. If that is the case, it is deeply irresponsible. We will work in New York to ensure that the Iran Sanctions Committee pursues this matter thoroughly and urgently.

Israel: Borders

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent progress by the Israeli Government in removing checkpoints and security barriers on the west bank.

Ivan Lewis: The Israeli Government have recently removed some obstacles to movement and access in the west bank. In June 2009, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) listed 613 obstacles in the west bank. As of the end of October 2009, the UNOCHA listed 578 obstacles in the west bank.
	However, this falls short of the Israeli announcement in September 2009 that Israel would remove 100 obstacles. A UNOCHA investigation, using co-ordinates provided by the Israeli Defence Forces, found that not all of these 100 obstacles had been removed, and that 61 of the 100 had not originally featured on the UNOCHA list of 613 obstacles because they were deemed insignificant.
	None the less, the removal of some obstacles is a step in the right direction. We urge the Israeli Government to ensure that these improvements in movement and access are maintained and improved. We also commend the Palestinian security forces for their efforts to improve security in the west bank, which has in turn given Israel confidence to ease restrictions.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan for the supervised independence of Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the then Minister for Europe (Caroline Flint) on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 378-79W. Since then, Kosovo has made further good progress in implementing Martti Ahtisaari's Comprehensive Settlement Proposal (CSP).
	Kosovo is putting in place the measures needed for full implementation of the CSP decentralisation provisions which seek to encourage Kosovo Serb engagement in public life and provide sustainable local government for Kosovo. Three Kosovo-Serb majority municipalities were established in time for local elections on 15 November 2009 and two more will hold elections next spring. The elections themselves were a critical marker in Kosovo's emergence as a multi-ethnic democracy, though improvements are still needed for Kosovo fully to meet European standards. On 17 October 2009, Kosovo and Macedonia signed an agreement on demarcation of their border, a welcome contribution to strengthening regional stability. Progress has also been made in judicial and senior public sector appointments.

Libya: Overseas Trade

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates his Department has had discussions on Libya with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessors since 2002.

Ivan Lewis: There is no central record of the number of discussions that have taken place between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) officials regarding Libya. However, officials from a number of departments within the FCO, both in the UK and overseas, are in regular and close contact with their counterparts in DBIS in support of Government objectives, including in respect of Libya.

Libya: Terrorism

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to Lord Laird of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA221, on Libya, what assessment he has made of the likelihood that the campaign by victims and families of IRA terrorism for compensation from the Libyan government will procure compensation.

Ivan Lewis: The campaign's discussions remain at an early and delicate stage. The campaign's parliamentary group led by Lord Daniel Brennan undertook a successful initial visit to Libya in late October. Campaign engagement with Libya will continue but it would be premature and inappropriate for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to attempt to predict any outcomes at this stage.

Libya: Terrorism

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to Lord Laird of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA221, on Libya, how many people are working for the FCO-based Libya/Northern Ireland Reconciliation Unit.

Ivan Lewis: There are currently three full-time Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff working in the Libya/Northern Ireland Reconciliation Unit. These consist of a head of unit, unit manager and a support officer. These staff report to the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Directorate and are supported by staff at our embassy in Tripoli, the FCO legal advisers and other members of Middle East and North Africa Directorate as necessary.

Libya: Terrorism

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to Lord Laird of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA221, on Libya, 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of progress in the campaign by victims and families of IRA terrorism for compensation from the Libyan government since 8 September;
	(2)  what progress the Libya/Northern Ireland Reconciliation Unit based in his Department has made since 8 September in supporting the campaign by victims and families of IRA terrorism for compensation from the Libyan government.

Ivan Lewis: With support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Libya/Northern Ireland Reconciliation Unit, the campaign's parliamentary group secured and undertook a short visit to Libya in October 2009. They remain engaged with Libya in exploring mutually agreeable ways of bringing this issue to a conclusion. The FCO Unit will continue to support them in any way it properly can.

Members: Correspondence

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Bury, will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Wycombe of 18 August 2009 on Shabbir Ahmed Shah.

Chris Bryant: We did not receive the original letter, but have now had a copy forwarded by the hon. Member's office. We will reply to it as quickly as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letters of 25 August and 25 October 2009 from the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon, on his constituent Mr. Heckmet Izhak.

Chris Bryant: We did not receive the original letters, but have now had copies forwarded by the hon. Member's office. We will reply to them as quickly as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to respond to the letters of 26 June and 21 September 2009 from the Chalfonts Branch of the United Nations Association on  (a) Aung San Suu Kyi and  (b) the war in Afghanistan.

Ivan Lewis: We did not receive the original letters dated 26 June and 21 September 2009. The hon. Member's office are obtaining copies of these letters to forward on to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We will reply to these letters once we have received them.

Middle East

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on  (a) levels of unemployment,  (b) changes in the level of GDP growth,  (c) export volumes and  (d) crime rates on the west bank.

Ivan Lewis: The International Monetary Fund has predicted that gross domestic product per capita in the west bank will decline in 2009, despite an initial projection of 7 per cent. growth, unless restrictions on movement and access are further relaxed.
	There are signs that unemployment has been falling slightly in the west bank this year. It fell from 19.5 per cent. in March to 15.9 per cent. in June. However, over the last three years unemployment has fallen over the summer months due to the nature of seasonal employment. It is therefore difficult to assess whether this decline is a reflection of a more sustained reduction in the level of unemployment, or a seasonal phenomenon. We shall continue to monitor data for the autumn and winter months.
	Anecdotal evidence suggests that exports may have increased marginally as a result of the decision to increase the commercial opening hours of the Allenby crossing into Jordan. However, Israel has yet to take other significant measures to facilitate exports through Jordan and into Israel. We continue to call on her to do so.
	There is also anecdotal evidence to suggest that crime rates in areas under Palestinian Authority (PA) control have declined as a result of a greater Palestinian police presence and a crackdown on crimes such as car theft. However, the PA has not been able to operate in 60 per cent. of the west bank-in Area C-and so its ability to have an impact on crime remains impeded.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the level of threat to Israel of attacks from the west bank.

Ivan Lewis: There have been notable improvements in the security situation in the west bank over the past year. However, the situation remains fragile and could deteriorate quickly. We recognise the key role the Palestinian Authorities Security Forces have played in maintaining security and containing violent extremists in many areas of the west bank. However, we have been concerned in recent weeks by increased tensions in east Jerusalem and the old city.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the UK has not been able to meet the commitment made by the Prime Minister on 19 January 2009 to provide naval resources to monitor and stop arms traffic and arms entering Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The actual allocation of naval assets is considered in line with the relevant international political and legal considerations and availability of resources. So far the conditions have not been met for deployment.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 19 January 2009, what steps the UK has taken to  (a) deal with unexploded bombs in Gaza and  (b) provide monitoring support at crossings into Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the clearance of Unexploded Ordnance. Mines Advisory Group has cleared unexploded ordnance (UXO) from UN Relief and Works Agency schools, allowing 220,000 children to return to school. DFID has also provided £445,446 to enable the UN Mines Action Service to coordinate UXO assessment and clearance throughout Gaza, deploy Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams to clear sites and remove UXO contamination, and train 500 people involved in rubble removal to identify and manage UXO.
	Although clearance operations are now underway, an estimated 400,000 tonnes of rubble mixed with toxic materials and unexploded ordnance still need to be removed before reconstruction can begin.
	The UK fully supports the work of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Rafah. It is critical that the mission remains ready to reactivate its work as soon as the Israeli authorities allow the crossing to open.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proportion of homes damaged or destroyed during the December 2008 conflict in Gaza which have been rebuilt since the end of the conflict.

David Miliband: Approximately 6,400 homes and 114 schools were destroyed or badly damaged during the 2008 conflict. Only limited reconstruction has taken place. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has sufficient plastic sheets and tarpaulins to provide temporary cover for broken windows. Using cash handouts from UNRWA and the UN Development Programme, owners of around 50,000 lightly damaged homes are making repairs. UNRWA has been able to rebuild 180 fully destroyed homes (out of 3,000 requiring major repairs) using materials already available in Gaza.
	The Government remain extremely concerned about the very grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly with the onset of the autumn rains and colder winter weather. Many people in Gaza have not been able to rebuild their homes since the conflict ended in January 2009. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to open the crossings into Gaza not only for humanitarian supplies, but also for reconstruction materials, commercial trade and people.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the conformity of Middle East peace proposals with the principles of the Oslo Accords.

Ivan Lewis: The Oslo Accords are a fundamental building block towards achieving a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security. The Government remain fully committed to establishing such a viable Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with limited land-swaps of equal quality. We believe that negotiations between the parties remain the best route to achieving this goal.

Morocco: Deportation

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on  (a) the deportation from Morocco of Aminatou Haidar and  (b) the offence for which she has been deported; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are aware of the case of Aminatou Haidar. According to media reports, Ms Haidar has claimed that the Moroccan authorities took her passport away from her on arrival in Layounne from Lanzarote. The Moroccan authorities have told us that Ms Haidar refused to state her nationality as Moroccan on arrival and that she voluntarily surrendered her passport. We understand the Spanish and Moroccan authorities are now working to try and resolve the issue and, between them, have offered Ms Haidar either a new Moroccan passport or refugee status in Spain, both of which we understand she has refused.

Somalia: Fisheries

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 May 2009,  Official Report, column 922W, on Somalia: fisheries, if he will propose  (a) EU and  (b) international action to assess the scale and source of illegal fishing in Somali waters.

David Miliband: The international community, including the UK, is keen to ensure that illegal fishing does not occur in Somali territorial waters, and to this end is seeking to help Somalia regularise its maritime claims and laws relating to maritime security. This would be the essential first step towards establishing what fishing activity could be regarded as illegal, as well as towards credible and effective fisheries licensing and enforcement.
	We recognise the concerns of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and the Somali population about illegal fishing. The international community, including the EU, is engaging with the TFG on this issue both on the UN Security Council and in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of an attack on the south Sudanese Minister Dr Samson Kwaje; what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Southern Sudan; and whether he has had recent discussions with President Salva Kiir of southern Sudan on the security situation in that area.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 669W.
	We understand that Minister Samson Kwaje was shot and injured while promoting voter registration in Western Equatoria State. We understand that he sought hospital treatment and is recovering.
	We are concerned at such incidents of violence and urge all involved to ensure that voter registration, and other preparations for the elections in April 2010, are conducted in a peaceful manner.
	We are very concerned by the continuing insecurity in South Sudan as a result of tribal violence and activity by the Lord's Resistance Army.
	We have not had any recent discussions about this with President Kiir, however, EU High Representative, Javier Solana, met President Kiir in Brussels last week and discussed these issues with him. My ministerial colleagues, as well as senior officials, have raised security issues recently with the Government of National Unity and the Government of South Sudan.

Surveillance

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many covert human intelligence sources  (a) the Secret Intelligence Service and  (b) GCHQ have recruited in each year since 2000.

Chris Bryant: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on operational intelligence matters.

Western Sahara: Land Mines

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the use by Morocco of antipersonnel mines in those areas of Western Sahara under its occupation; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have not received any reports on the use of antipersonnel mines by Morocco in the territory of Western Sahara. In his report of 13 April 2009, the UN Secretary-General did not report any activity that indicated the laying down of antipersonnel mines in Western Sahara.
	The UN Secretary-General did however report on the efforts of the Royal Moroccan army to destroy mines, unexploded ordinance and expired ammunition.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 931W, on Afghanistan: UK Trade and Investment, if he will provide  (a) a breakdown of the £30 million his Department has contributed to the Harakat investment and  (b) a statement of the aims and objectives of the financial contribution.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has committed £30 million over seven years (2008-15) to Harakat (Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility). Harakat is managed by an independent board, on which DFID is represented, which decides how funds are allocated and spent. To date, £3.5 million has been spent on a number of projects which include: the modernisation of the land registry system; streamlining of business licensing; and the establishment of the Afghanistan training Institute for Banking and Finance.
	Harakat's aim is to boost growth and investment, and contribute to employment creation in Afghanistan. Harakat has eight objectives which can be found on their website at:
	http://www.harakat.af/index.php?page=en_About+Us

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from his Department plan to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen; how many will be travelling by air; and at what cost to the public purse.

Douglas Alexander: Plans for travel to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen are not yet finalised. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the civil service code.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's website received  (a) 5,950,218 page views and  (b) 1,173,112 unique visitors in 2008-09.

Departmental Scientists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) civil servants in scientific posts there are in his Department.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has two civil servant scientific advisers not working in a scientific post, and a further five research-active scientists on secondment from UK universities. In addition, DFID also has a rich vein of civil servant professional advisers with a scientific background who are not employed by DFID as scientists.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidance his Department has issued to his Department's country offices on incorporating  (a) sexual and reproductive health and rights,  (b) family planning and  (c) abortion services into country strategy papers.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including improved access to family planning and safe abortion services. We are working internationally and through our country offices to advance progress on SRHR. This is central to achieving the millennium development goals including maternal health, reducing child mortality, AIDS response and women's empowerment.
	DFID has policy papers that guide our approach to improving SRHR including the Maternal Health Strategy, Position Paper on SRHR and Achieving Universal Access-the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spreading of HIV in the developing world. In addition, DFID recently issued an updated policy paper on safe and unsafe abortion which clearly demonstrates DFID's commitment to preventing unsafe abortion and improving access to safe abortion. All policy papers are available on DFID's website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Regional and country programmes reflect DFID's priorities in the areas of SRHR as appropriate to the country context. Where it is difficult for country offices to work directly on an issue, e.g. safe abortion where the national legal framework does not support this, DFID considers support through regional programming. This is why DFID has committed £6.5 million over five years to support regional work to increase access to safe abortion in sub-Saharan Africa.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that family planning and safe abortion services are included in essential health packages of countries to which his Department provides assistance;
	(2)  which Country Strategy Papers prepared by his Department refer to  (a) sexual and reproductive health and rights,  (b) family planning and  (c) abortion.

Michael Foster: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), including family planning and safe abortion services, are key to the provision of essential health care. The Department for International Development (DFID) works through a number of formal and informal processes to ensure that these essential health outcomes are addressed both in policy and implementation. Examples of DFID's work include:
	Direct contributions to the health budgets of our partner countries as well as sector-wide programmes. Improving access to family planning is a key part of policy dialogue and bilateral programme support in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
	Supporting action to improve access to safe abortion (as outlined in our recent policy paper on safe and unsafe abortion) through different mechanisms depending on the legal framework and political sensitivity in country.
	Supporting regional and multilateral programmes to improve access to safe abortion and other services in Africa such as UNFPA's Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodity Security to which with DFID has committed £100 million over a five year period.
	All DFID country programmes which spend more than £20 million per year are required to produce and publish country plans. These are available via the DFID website. Of the 15 reports currently available 12 refer to SRHR or a key element of SRHR (maternal health, family planning or HIV prevention) and the remaining three make reference to efforts to improve basic health care services.

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which his Department is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Michael Foster: The estates and logistics manager in each of the Department for International Development's (DFID) offices where vehicles are provided, or, in the rare instances where staff use their own vehicles, has the responsibility of checking for a valid driving licence and insurance certificate. In addition, the travel claims section of the finance department maintains copies of insurance certificates from claimants and verifies that these are still valid prior to payment of all mileage claims.
	Each office provides a Transport Handbook which sets out road safety advice such as local rules and customs and parts of town to avoid.
	All staff are required to report accidents and near misses both in the office and in the course of their official duties outside the office, in accordance with health and safety legislation. All such reports would be reviewed by the internal health and safety team as appropriate.

Gaza: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the £47 million pledged by the UK for immediate humanitarian assistance, early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza has been disbursed; and what assessment has been made of the effect of this funding on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Michael Foster: £27 million of the UK's pledge of £47 million has been allocated for immediate humanitarian assistance and early recovery work in Gaza, and £20 million for reconstruction.
	The UK has spent £18.3 million of the £27 million pledged for humanitarian assistance and early recovery activities, and we expect to have spent all of this funding by the end of March 2010. However, due to restrictions on the entry of building materials into Gaza, the UK has not yet been able to spend any of the £20 million earmarked for reconstruction. We stand ready to provide support as soon as the situation improves, and continue to press the Israeli Government for improved access to Gaza.
	UK support is helping to make a real difference in Gaza. For example, UK funding to Oxfam helped provide clean water to over 63,000 people and improved sanitation for more than 100,000 people. Our funding to the World Food Programme and UN Relief and Works Agency helps provide food to more than 900,000 people.

Gaza: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on efforts to repair the sewage and water treatment plant in Gaza.

Michael Foster: There are a number of sewage treatment, wastewater re-use and seawater desalination projects in Gaza aimed at addressing the ongoing water and sanitation crisis. The UN has highlighted five key projects which are at various stages of planning and implementation: construction of the North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment plant, upgrading of the Sheikh Ajleen sewage treatment plant in Gaza City, construction of wastewater treatment plants in Rafah and Khan Younis and the installation of three desalination plants (in Rafah, Khan Younis and Al Bureij refugee camp).
	Israeli authorities have expressed support for these projects and allowed some of the necessary materials to enter Gaza. However, implementation has been slowed due to prolonged delays in the clearance of these imports and other difficulties in the coordination process with the authorities.

Gaza: Utilities

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of access to  (a) clean water and  (b) electricity in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The UN estimates the number of people not connected to the water network in Gaza is now only 10,000 out of a population of 1.5 million. But frequent power failures also mean that access to water from the network is limited to six-eight hours per day for several days as pumps in boreholes and in blocks of flats cannot operate. In addition, it is estimated that 90-95 per cent. of the water in the aquifer, from which Gaza draws its water, is contaminated with sewage, nitrates and sea water and does not meet drinking water quality standards.
	As the power station does not get enough fuel to run at full capacity, Gaza consistently experiences shortages of mains electricity leading to power cuts of four-five hours a day, four days a week for 90 per cent. of the population. In October the power station only received 65 per cent. of the 3.5 million litres of fuel needed to operate at its maximum capacity of 80 megawatts.

UN Population Fund

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the United Nations Population Fund performance of the Global Programme in its use of the £100 million contributed to it by his Department.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed to provide up to £100 million over five years to support the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodity Security (GPRHCS), subject to performance. UNFPA's 2008 report did not provide adequate evidence of progress. As a result, we have held back funding scheduled for 2009. The next instalment of funding will only be released when a framework to improve reporting is in place. This will be used by all donors to GPRHCS.

JUSTICE

C-NOMIS Database Project

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects the Government to respond to the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the C-NOMIS database project, published on 2 November 2009.

Maria Eagle: The Government response to the Public Accounts Committee report is expected to be published on 28 January 2010.

C-NOMIS Database Project

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve the information and technology systems available to the probation service given that the C-NOMIS database will no longer be available to them.

Maria Eagle: The C-NOMIS project was replaced by the National Offender Management Information Systems programme. The programme comprises five IT-enabled business change projects, three of which will directly benefit probation.
	Probation case management system will replace a variety of probation systems with a centralised version based on a redevelopment of the Delius system;
	A data sharing system will be developed and implemented, enabling staff in both organisations to share core information required to support offender management;
	The existing offender assessment system used by probation will be replaced by an improved, centralised system.

Criminal Injury Compensation

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on administering criminal injury compensation in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Claire Ward: Government-funded criminal injuries compensation is administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). In 2008-09, CICA's employment costs were £12,075,000 and administration costs were £9,353,000.

Criminal Injury Compensation

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much criminal injury compensation was paid by  (a) the Government and  (b) convicted criminals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Claire Ward: In 2008-09, £265.9 million was paid under the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. This figure includes interim awards: i.e. awards paid to applicants pending final settlement of their applications.
	In 2008-09, HM Courts Service collected £42.3 million from offenders in court order compensation.

Departmental Data Protection

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what security requirements are made by his Department in respect of  (a) people employed to provide audio transcription services to his Department from home,  (b) the premises in which work to provide such services is carried out and  (c) arrangements for the transfer of data between such premises and his Department.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has a contract for the provision of transcription services in relation to court hearings. Security controls comply with the Government's Security Policy Framework, which includes standards for information security.
	The Crown Court Reporting Contract covers the transcription service for the criminal courts. Transcriptions for these courts are carried out within the court buildings where the data are stored or within the contractor's premises and never at employees' homes.
	The Tape Transcription Panel Contract covers the transcription service for the civil and family courts. Many of the contractors on this panel are small-medium enterprises and transcription work may be carried out at their employees' homes.
	Contractors engaged on transcription work are subject to personnel checks including identity, right to work, criminal record and employment history. Some will additionally be subject to a national security check depending on where they work.
	Suppliers are required to store all data in their possession, relating to the tape transcription contract, in a safe and secure environment. Prior to the award of the current contract, all prospective suppliers' establishments were visited and their equipment and storage facilities inspected for compliance.
	Data are transferred between courts and the contractor by the following methods: personal collection, DX/Secure DX, registered post, special delivery, courier.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Jack Straw: No reports of allegations of victimisation have been made to the Ministry's nominated officers, who listen to concerns raised under our whistleblowing procedure.
	Allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing not involving the nominated officers would be made through staff grievance procedures. Additionally, the National Offender Management Service also has a reporting wrongdoing hotline where staff may raise concerns, anonymously if they wish. The procedures do not centrally record victimisation resulting from whistleblowing as a separate category. In order to provide the information requested, we would need to contact each of our establishments and HR offices, ask them to interrogate their local records and then submit this information to headquarters. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Jack Straw: I met with the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) and constituent during the week commencing 9 November 2009 to discuss libel tourism. I also met the Attorney Generals of the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Departmental Rail Trains

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Jack Straw: Friday 20 November 2009.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Michael Wills: Apart from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) business areas, the Ministry does not undertake online recruitment. Since May 2009, NOMS has eliminated the use of paper applications and all recruitment has been online. For individuals who do not have access to the internet at home the NOMS contact centre encourages applicants to use the range of internet points available at internet cafes, job centres and public libraries.
	The recruitment product used by NOMS complies with the Royal National Institute for Blind People conformity standard of AA (a measure of website accessibility). This means that the website has passed the test and is compliant with industry wide guidelines, allowing us to demonstrate for example, that disabled users have verified that the website provides an effective level of service to all users.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mass of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Michael Wills: The recycling figures for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are not separated out and an individual figure for the mass of paper recycled is not available. This answer gives the total recycling figure for the Ministry of Justice for 2007-08.
	The MoJ was created in May 2007. Government have a target to increase recycling to 40 per cent. of total waste by 2010. Cutting waste arising at source means we have less material to recycle and MoJ engages with suppliers to reduce or remove packaging. The figures for reducing waste arising for 2007-08 can be found on the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) website:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=852
	in the seventh annual Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) assessment.
	The figures for the recycling of waste arising for 2007-08 can be found on the SDC website:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=853
	This is the latest period for which figures are available. Based on ongoing improvement in performance and planned initiatives MoJ expects to achieve the 2010 recycling target.
	The assessment of 2008-09 performance will be published by the Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) on 18 December 2009 to the OGC website.

Driving: Licensing

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will asses whether additional  (a) time and  (b) cost would be incurred by police forces in (i) England and (ii) Wales in the event of the introduction of a graduated driver licensing system.

Paul Clark: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no current plans to introduce graduated licensing and therefore the assessments have not been made.

Freedom of Information: Government Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many information notices the Information Commissioner has issued to each Department in each year since 2005 in circumstances in which he considers there has been undue delay by that Department in providing the information requested.  [Official Report, 12 January 2010, Vol. 503, c. 5MC.]

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent authority responsible for enforcing the Freedom of Information Act (the Act).
	Section 51 of the Act provides that the Commissioner may serve an Information Notice either in relation to a complaint or to assess compliance with the requirements of the Act.
	Up to November 2009 the ICO has issued 91 formal information notices to Public Authorities, 34 of which have been to Government Departments. They are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Department  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Total 
			 Department of Transport - - 1 - - 1 
			 Department of Health 1 1 1 2 1 6 
			 House of Commons - 6 - - - 6 
			 Scotland Office - - - 1 - 1 
			 The Treasury Solicitors Department - 1 - - - 1 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 1 - - - 1 
			 Department for Culture Media and Sport - 1 - - - 1 
			 Cabinet Office - - 2 2 - 4 
			 Home Office - - 1 1 4 6 
			 Department for Constitutional Affairs - 1 - - - 1 
			 HM Treasury - 1 - - - 1 
			 The Department of Trade and Industry/Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - - - 3 - 3 
			 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - - - 1 - 1 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office - - - 1 - 1 
			 Grand Total 1 12 5 11 5 34

HM Courts Service: Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  by what proportion HM Courts Service plans to reduce its numbers of front-line staff in 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reasons HM Courts Service has proposed a reduction in the number of its staff in courts.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has recently agreed its 2010-11 budget with HMCS as part of the established concordat process.
	Detailed business and operational planning for 2010-11 is currently under way but specific workforce plans are not yet available. Therefore it is not possible to state what change in staff numbers if any may be necessary.
	HMCS' ongoing priority is to maintain support delivery of high quality front-line services for victims, witnesses and all court users.

Hunting Act 2004: Prosecutions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for offences under the Hunting Act 2004 at courts in Yorkshire in each year since the Act entered into force.

Claire Ward: There have been no prosecutions or convictions reported to the Ministry of Justice in the North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire police force areas for offences under the 2004 Hunting Act from 2005 (the Act came into force on 18 February 2005) to 2007 (latest available).
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.

Legal Aid

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget is for legal aid in respect of the asylum system in 2009-10.

Bridget Prentice: There is not a separate budget for legal aid in respect of asylum matters. Asylum cases are funded from the overall legal aid budget, which forms part of the overall Ministry of Justice departmental expenditure limit.
	The latest forecast indicates that the cost of asylum matters in 2009-10 will be about £54 million. The figures above do not include judicial reviews concerning asylum as these cannot be disaggregated from the overall immigration and asylum category.

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether officials employed by or seconded to the head office of the National Offender Management Service have authority to advise or instruct probation staff to alter supervision plans in individual cases;
	(2)  in what circumstances staff employed by or seconded to the head office of the National Offender Management Service contact probation staff in relation to the supervision of individual cases;
	(3)  whether intelligence received about individual offenders by senior managers in probation areas is regularly passed on to supervisors.

Maria Eagle: Officials in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), including those seconded from probation areas or trusts, provide policy instructions and practice guidance to advise probation staff how to complete sentence plans. They represent the Secretary of State at Parole Board oral hearings and consider whether risk management plans for recalled offenders provide adequate safeguards in protecting the public. They consider reports submitted by probation areas and trusts in respect of offenders recalled on post release licence and those offenders being considered for parole. They may liaise with areas/trusts about more unusual cases presenting serious risks to the public, for example a terrorist offender.
	In fulfilling these roles, they do not have the authority to instruct probation staff to alter sentence plans except where a breach of rules about disclosure of information (for example about a victim) would otherwise occur. However, NOMS may offer advice in specific cases. They may also review the quality of sentence plans, and other aspects of practice, when an individual is responsible for committing a serious further offence.
	It is not possible to specify all the circumstances in which staff from NOMS might contact probation staff about the supervision of individual cases. The following examples cover the main situations where such contact might occur:
	when an offender is considered to present a particularly serious risk to the community, for example a terrorist offender or one registered as a critical public protection case;
	when a practitioner seeks advice from an official at the Ministry of Justice about the management of an offender; or
	when an offender makes a complaint to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, their Member of Parliament or NOMS about an aspect of the service he or she has received.
	The following examples cover situations where routine reports are prepared by probation staff and considered by staff in NOMS. On some occasions they might result in discussion between the two about the supervision of a case:
	when a probation area is seeking the recall to custody of an offender released on licence;
	when the Parole Board is considering a prisoner's re-release following recall; or
	when a prisoner is being considered for release on parole; or
	when an offender has committed a serious further offence while under supervision and the management of the case is subject to review.
	Senior managers might receive intelligence about individual offenders in a number of situations. Examples of this include: multi agency public protection arrangements; multi agency arrangements for managing prolific and other priority offenders; and via the Violent and Sex Offenders Register (ViSOR) database, which is shared with the police. It would usually be good practice for any intelligence they might acquire to be passed on to the person managing the case. There are no standard procedures for monitoring this exchange of intelligence between senior managers and supervisors and therefore it is not possible to confirm the frequency of occurrence without an unreasonable amount of time to gather the information.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Finance

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 26-7WS, on the Probation Service, what estimate he has made of the number of trainee probation officers who are expected to graduate in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010 without an offer of a full-time permanent job as a probation officer.

Maria Eagle: Currently 285 trainee probation officers (TPOs), who graduated in October 2009, do not have a permanent probation officer contract. 126 TPOs have secured a temporary contract as a probation officer, and a further 62 are employed as probation services officers (34 in permanent roles and 28 employed temporarily). 305 TPOs are expected to graduate in 2010, but it is too early to predict how many will be offered permanent probation officer contracts.
	The additional £26 million funding announced for Probation Board/Trust budgets in 2010-11 is specifically targeted on front line delivery. It will enable probation employers to revisit their workforce planning assumptions and potentially offer permanent probation officer contracts to TPO graduates from both 2009 and 2010.
	Directors of offender management will negotiate specific service level agreements/contracts with boards/trusts. At this time it is not possible to provide the exact number of probation officer jobs available as the allocation for each probation area and trust will be agreed with the relevant director of offender management by the end of December.

Parole: Life Imprisonment

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what rules and procedures apply to the consideration for parole of prisoners who have received  (a) a life and  (b) an indeterminate sentence; and what procedures apply in respect of each such sentence.

Bridget Prentice: All life sentence and indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) prisoners are eligible to have their case for release on parole considered once they have served the minimum period as set down by the court. The process for considering both life sentence and IPP prisoners' parole applications is broadly the same. The independent Parole Board is responsible for determining whether it is safe to release a life sentence or IPP prisoner back into the community.
	Under Section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 and Section 239(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the Secretary of State for Justice has powers to set Directions to the Parole Board to guide them in their considerations. These Directions are available from the Library of the House or at:
	http://www.paroleboard.gov.uk
	The rules which govern the Parole Board's procedures in life sentence and IPP cases are set out in the Parole Board Rules 2004, which were amended in 2009. These rules are available also from the Library of the House or at:
	http://www.paroleboard.gov.uk
	Since 1 April 2009 all indeterminate sentenced prisoners' parole cases have been carried out in accordance with the generic parole process (GPP). The GPP introduced a single timetable and process for all indeterminate sentenced prisoners. The procedures, responsibilities and timescales for this process are managed under Prison Service Order 6010. This Prison Service Order is available from the Library of the House or at:
	www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk

Prison Officers

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers have  (a) been accused of,  (b) been dismissed for,  (c) been charged for,  (d) been convicted of and  (e) commenced a custodial sentence for bringing drugs into a prison in the last three years.

Maria Eagle: In the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), there is no formal requirement to notify headquarters whenever a member of staff is accused of misconduct. Instead, the matter would be reported at a local level. Details of the number of prison officers accused of bringing drugs into a prison in the last three years could be obtained only by consulting all prisons across England and Wales. This would incur disproportionate cost.
	According to centrally held records in NOMS, three prison officers have been dismissed under the internal disciplinary procedures specifically for bringing drugs into a prison since January 2007 (two during 2007 and one during 2008).
	Information about the numbers of staff charged under internal disciplinary proceedings is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by consulting all prisons across England and Wales. Information about staff who have been charged by the police with smuggling drugs could only be provided at disproportionate cost by gathering information held by all England and Wales police forces.
	While information is held centrally by NOMS about the numbers of staff who have been dismissed following receipt of a police caution or criminal conviction, details of the offence and the conviction are not recorded centrally in each case. To obtain this information it would be necessary to contact each prison in England and Wales.
	Information on the number of staff who have been given a custodial sentence for bringing drugs into a prison in the last three years is not collated and held centrally. To obtain this information it would be necessary to contact each prison in England and Wales.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals were serving a custodial sentence at the latest date for which figures are available; and for what categories of offences such prisoners were sentenced.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of sentenced foreign national prisoners (FNPs) in England and Wales by offence category at the end of June 2009.
	
		
			  Offence category  Prisoners 
			 Violence against the person 1,640 
			 Sexual offences 892 
			 Robbery 611 
			 Burglary 300 
			 Theft and handling 322 
			 Fraud and forgery 928 
			 Drug offences 2,138 
			 Motoring offences 131 
			 Other offences 515 
			 Offence not recorded 25 
			 Total 7,502 
		
	
	The total number of FNPs (including those not under sentence) for the same date was 11,350.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison: Drugs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what drug testing requirements apply to prison officers.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service does not have a national policy in place relating to drug testing arrangements for members of staff.
	However, all staff are expected to report fit for duty at all times and staff who take prohibited drugs while at work or on duty may be subject to formal disciplinary action which may result in their dismissal from service. If there was cause to believe that a member of staff was under the influence of drugs while on duty, the matter may be referred to the police.

Prison: Drugs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what penalties may be imposed upon a prisoner who tests positive for drugs.

Maria Eagle: A prisoner who undergoes a mandatory drug test which results in a positive indication that he or she has taken a controlled drug may be charged with a disciplinary offence under the Prison or Young Offender Institution Rules. If the charge is proved the Governor (or Controller in a contracted prison) may impose any of the punishments set out in the Rules, ranging from a caution, forfeiture of privileges, stoppage of earnings, or up to 21 days cellular confinement.
	In more serious cases, such as those involving Class A drugs, Governors can refer the charge to an independent adjudicator (District Judge), who may impose any of the punishments available to the Governor, and, in the case of a determinate sentence prisoner, up to 42 additional days to be served in custody. The guidelines for independent adjudicators, issued by the Senior District Judge, suggest 32 added days as a starting point for Class A drugs, or 12 added days for other drugs.
	Whether a charge is referred to the independent adjudicator, and the actual punishment imposed, will depend on the individual circumstances of the case, and the local punishment guidelines set by the Governor in each prison. These punishments are equally applicable to prisoners who refuse to undergo a mandatory drug test.

Prisoners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners were detained in open prisons on 30 October 2009.

Claire Ward: The most recent data available relate to June 2009.
	At the end of June 2009 there were 201 foreign national prisoners (FNPs), detained in open prisons in England and Wales.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals of each nationality were held in prison for each offence on 30 October 2009.

Claire Ward: The most recent data available relate to June 2009.
	Around 160 nationalities are represented in the prison population. For ease of reference, the top 10 nationalities (accounting for 49 per cent. of the sentenced population) are shown with the remaining 51 per cent. grouped together.
	
		
			   China  India  Irish Republic  Jamaica  Lithuania  Nigeria  Pakistan  Poland  Somali  Vietnam  Top 10  Remainder 
			 Violence against the person 24 70 153 236 60 43 85 90 68 15 844 796 
			 Sexual offences 9 33 79 84 13 33 62 32 41 3 389 504 
			 Robbery 8 6 83 63 8 19 11 29 64 0 291 320 
			 Burglary 2 5 88 20 15 3 3 30 8 3 177 123 
			 Theft and handling 4 5 20 13 26 9 6 27 6 4 120 202 
			 Fraud and forgery 44 62 14 34 13 142 48 6 22 4 389 539 
			 Drug offences 106 13 41 310 15 281 55 34 45 246 1,146 992 
			 Motoring offences 2 7 6 6 18 6 6 16 2 0 68 63 
			 Other offences 30 19 37 23 24 15 23 33 31 5 239 276 
			 Offence not recorded 0 1 3 2 0 2 1 1 1 0 12 13 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Transfers

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what progress he has made in establishing the extent of the practice of transferring prisoners prior to official inspections across the prison estate in England and Wales;
	(2)  what progress he has made in determining the motivation behind the recent transfer of prisoners prior to inspection reports; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent this happening in future.

Jack Straw: The review of the extent of the practice of transferring prisoners from one prison to another prior to inspection was announced in my statement to the House on 20 October 2009. The director of Analytical Services has started her investigations which will cover the extent of the practice of transferring prisoners prior to inspection.
	In that statement I made clear that the investigation into the temporary transfers of prisoners between Pentonville and Wandsworth prisons had found that they had been arranged as deliberate attempts to manipulate the outcomes of the inspections.
	The director general of NOMS, Phil Wheatley, has written to all governors to reiterate that the temporary transfer of prisoners to manipulate inspection outcomes is unacceptable. I issued a public statement reflecting Mr. Wheatley's message.
	I will update the House in February 2010 on the outcome of the review.

Prisoners: Death

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and Her Majesty's Coroner to complete their investigations into the self-inflicted death of the prisoner transferred to HM Prison Pentonville, following a court appearance, in the week before an inspection, and held there during the inspection before being returned to HM Prison Wandsworth.

Maria Eagle: The prisons and probation ombudsman (PPO) and the coroner will both undertake independent investigations into the self-inflicted death of the prisoner at HMP Wandsworth. The timings for completion of those investigations are a matter for the PPO and coroner respectively.

Prisons: Finance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the forecast percentage change to their annual budget is for each prison in England for which he has responsibility for financial years  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12 and  (c) 2012-13 compared to their budget for the previous financial year.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service is undertaking a budget review process with its regions to determine the budget for prisons in 2010-11. In planning for 2010-11 prisons are using indicative guidelines of a 5 per cent. budget reduction but their final budgets will not be determined until the review process is complete, later this year.
	Budgets for 2011-12 and 2012-13 are outside the current spending review period and consequently have not yet been determined.

Remand In Custody: Croydon

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in the London Borough of Croydon who were remanded in custody in each year between 1997 and 2008 were not convicted of the offences in respect of which they were remanded in custody; and how many days in total such people spent on remand in each such year.

Claire Ward: Information collected centrally by my Department on the number of persons remanded in custody is not available below Criminal Justice System area level.

Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria he uses to determine the effectiveness of youth offending teams.

Maria Eagle: There are two complementary processes for determining the effectiveness of youth offending teams (YOTs). The HMI probation inspection regime looks in depth at practice around the key areas of public protection, safe guarding and risk of harm. The inspection process reports its findings in terms of the level of improvement that is required against each of the core areas. The descriptors used are as follows:
	Drastic improvement required;
	Substantial improvement required;
	Moderate improvement required; and
	Minimum improvement required.
	The Youth Justice Board monitors and assesses YOT Partnership performance through its Youth Justice Performance Framework. This assessment is at a strategic level and looks at the key outcomes of: reducing reoffending; first time entrants; engagement in education, training and employment; access to suitable accommodation; public and victim confidence and reducing numbers in custody (with race disproportionality also addressed in each of these areas). The descriptors used are outstanding, good, satisfactory or poor. The combined results are used to inform the Youth Justice Board's overall judgment of the YOT Partnership, both in terms of performance and prospects for improvement.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rate of youth reoffending was in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: The published national statistics on adult and juvenile reoffending are not broken down by area. However, as part of the National Indicator Set, NI19: Juvenile Reoffending provide these data at the local level. This measure is different from the published National Statistics on reoffending for England and Wales.
	Juvenile reoffending data are available for 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008. For 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 data are based on a cohort of offenders that received a pre-court disposal (reprimand or final warning) or a first-tier or community penalty or were released from custody between October and December of that year. Data on this previous measure for the 2002-05 cohorts were reported in early 2004-07 respectively. After 2007 the basis of the measure changed to offenders that received a pre-court disposal (reprimand or final warning) or a first-tier or community penalty or were released from custody between January and March. Data on this new basis are available for the 2005 and 2008 cohorts-the former submitted retrospectively in September 2008, and the latter returned in July 2009.
	The local juvenile reoffending measure differs from the published national Statistics on juvenile reoffending. The primary difference is that the data source is administrative data held by youth offending teams, whereas the National Statistics are produced using the police national computer. There are therefore differences in the offences which count towards reoffending. In addition to this, local juvenile reoffending data are based on a one year follow up period with a further three months allowed for any cautions or convictions to occur, whereas the National Statistics allow a six month period for cautions or convictions.
	These data are available broken down by youth offender team area. The areas used are not coterminous with local authorities in all cases. The details are included in the tables, which I will place in the Libraries.

Youth Custody

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of placing a young person in  (a) a secure children's home,  (b) a secure training centre and  (c) a young offender's institute was in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is currently being collated and I hope to be in a position to write to the hon. Member before the end of the year to provide the average costs in each year since 2000 when the Youth Justice Board was established.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of civil servants earn more than £50,000 per annum.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning, how many and what proportion of civil servants are paid more than £50,000 per annum. (300813).
	The Office for National Statistics collects the annual salaries of civil servants, as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES).
	The requested data are attached at Annex A.
	
		
			  Annex A Number of individual civil servants paid more than £50,000 per annum( 1,2,3)  31 March 2008 
			   Greater than £50,000  Proportion to total (pe rcentage )( 3) 
			 Number of civil servants 19,490 3.8 
			 (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Based on actual annual gross salaries. (3) At 31 March 2008 there were 515,660 permanent civil servants. As part of the 2008 data collection 3,620 salaries were not recorded by government departments for individual civil servants. These civil servants have been excluded from the proportion to total estimate.  Source:  Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES)

Civil Servants: Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was paid in salary and wage costs for civil servants in the last 12 months; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of that figure which was paid to civil servants who earn more than £50,000 per annum.

Tessa Jowell: Information on salary and wage costs are published annually in individual departmental resource accounts.

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants of her Department plan to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Tessa Jowell: One official from my Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Departmental Cost-Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what efficiency savings projects  (a) her Department and  (b) its agency put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what efficiency savings projects the Prime Minister's Office put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to the Office's savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office, which includes the Prime Minister's Office, has a number of value for money saving initiatives in place to deliver against its original target of £35 million in 2010-11 as set at CSR 2007. Those initiatives include activities complementary to the Operational Efficiency Programme including: sourcing of shared services for HR and Finance transaction processing from DWP; leading on development of the Public Sector Flex shared IT service; consolidating the estate by vacating and disposing of non-core leasehold buildings and using core freehold buildings more intensively.
	At Budget 2009 the Cabinet Office was tasked with finding a further £10 million of savings bringing the total to £45 million in 2010-11. Business planning for 2010-11 is currently under way and will identify where those further savings might be found. Interim progress against our total value for money savings will next be reported in our Autumn Performance Report 2009 due to be published in December 2009. Full details of progress will next be reported in the Annual Report and Accounts 2009-10 due to be published next summer.
	Delivery of our plans will contribute to the £9 billion which will be delivered in the next Spending Period

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by (i) 10 Downing Street and (ii) her Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Cabinet Office supports the public sector food procurement initiative.

Departmental Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: With regard to the cost of allocated official cars and drivers by Ministers and officials, I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark), on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 80WS. Since 12 October 2009 the Cabinet Office has reduced the number of cars allocated to Ministers and officials to four.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in her Department was in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: No special advisers are provided with an allocated Government car and driver. As with all civil servants, special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by her Department in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and may not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office has no Executive agencies. Of our NDPBs, nine are small advisory bodies and two are executive advisory bodies and no bonuses or incentives have been paid to any consultant or contractor over the last three years.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of jobs advertised by her Department in the last 12 months were online-only applications; and what provision her Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in her Department who do not have access to the internet.

Angela Smith: There have been no jobs advertised as online-only application. Applicants without access to the internet can request a hard copy job pack.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of staff of her Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what her Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of staff  (a) the Prime Minister's Office and  (b) the Leader of the House's Office work flexibly or part-time; and what each Office's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minster's Office and the Leader of the House's Office are integral parts of the Cabinet Office and follow Cabinet Office policies and practices on flexible working.
	Cabinet Office has a range of flexible working options available to staff, including compressed hours, flexi-time, job-sharing, part-time, term-time and home working.
	Cabinet Office policy is that all jobs are available on a flexible working basis, including job-sharing, unless there are specific business reasons why requests for flexible working cannot be accommodated.
	Arrangements for flexible working are agreed within management units and information is not held centrally.
	The Department does not have any Executive agencies.
	Regarding the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), all advisory NDPBs are staffed by secretariat from the Cabinet Office, and follow the Cabinet Office's flexible working policy; the Executive NDPB, Commission for the Compact, has a similar approach to Cabinet Office policy on flexible working.
	Capacitybuilders, the Department's other Executive NDPB, operates a flexi-time policy and offers flexible working arrangements in line with current legislation.

Employment: Vale of Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were in employment in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 12 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were in employment in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 12 years (300664).
	The answer to this question is contained within the answer to your recent question,  Official Report, 12 November 2009, volume 499, column 751.

Immigration

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's migration policy on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	I made a statement on 18 December 2008 that the restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals' access to the UK's labour market would continue beyond 1 January 2009, and on 3 November 2009 that those restrictions would continue until the end of 2011. The case for the continuation of those restrictions was considered fully by the Migration Advisory Committee in its report published on 18 December 2008 and its recommendation have been taken into account in the Government's decision to extend the restrictions.

Legislation: Public Consultation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment she has made of the application of Cabinet Office guidelines by the Department of Health in respect of its consultation on the Draft Pharmacy Order 2009.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The consultation, Creating a new professional regulator for pharmacy, was carried out in accordance with the Government code of practice on consultation.
	The consultation opened on 8 December 2008 and closed on 9 March 2009-running for 13 weeks rather than 12 to allow for the Christmas holiday period. It was publicised through press releases and consultation events were held in Scotland, Wales, London and Leeds including one specifically for members of the public. The consultation received a great deal of coverage in the pharmacy media. The Department received 195 full responses and a further 54 e-mails and letters on specific issues and a full response was published in June 2009.

Liver Diseases

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people have been diagnosed with liver cancer since 2005.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people have been diagnosed with liver cancer since 2005.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2007. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	The table attached provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of liver cancer in England for the years 2005 to 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of liver cancer( 1) , England, 2005 to 2007( 2) 
			   Number 
			 2005 2,654 
			 2006 2,571 
			 2007 2,754 
			 (1) Liver cancer is coded to C22 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year.

Population: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the projected population of each Lancashire constituency in each of the next five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question about the estimate of the projected population of each Lancashire constituency in each of the next five years. (301420)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not produce population projections for parliamentary constituencies and so I am unable to provide population projections for each Lancashire constituency. ONS does however produce population projections for local authorities and for three local authorities the boundaries are coterminous with parliamentary constituencies.
	Table 1 shows the projected population projections for Lancashire local authorities mid-2010 to mid-2014.
	Table 2 shows the component local authorities for the Lancashire parliamentary constituencies.
	
		
			  Table 1: 2006-based population projections for Lancashire local authorities, mid-2010 to mid-2014 
			  Local authority  Parliamentary constituency  mid-2010  mid-2011  mid-2012  mid-2013  mid-2014 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn (part), Rossendale and Darwen (part) 144,400 145,300 146,200 147,200 148,100 
			 Blackpool Blackpool North and Fleetwood (part), Blackpool South (part) 145,000 145,700 146,400 147,200 148,000 
			 Burnley Burnley (whole) 87,700 87,800 87,800 87,900 88,100 
			 Chorley Chorley (whole) 106,600 107,400 108,200 109,000 109,800 
			 Fylde Fylde (part) 77,800 78,400 79,000 79,600 80,200 
			 Hyndburn Hyndburn (part) 83,700 84,100 84,500 85,000 85,400 
			 Lancaster Blackburn (part), Rossendale and Darwen (part) 151,600 153,800 155,800 157,700 159,600 
			 Pendle Blackpool North and Fleetwood (part), Blackpool South (part) 91,600 92,100 92,600 93,100 93,600 
			 Preston Burnley (whole) 134,500 135,200 135,800 136,500 137,100 
			 Ribble Valley Chorley (whole) 60,800 61,500 62.200 62,900 63,500 
			 Rossendale Fylde (part) 68,000 68,300 68.700 69,000 69,400 
			 South Ribble Hyndburn (part) 108,900 109,600 110,300 111,000 111,700 
			 West Lancashire Lancaster and Wyre (part), Morecambe and Lunesdale (part) 111,100 111,400 111,800 112,200 112,500 
			 Wyre Pendle (whole) 114,800 115,900 117,000 118,100 119,200 
			  Fylde (part), Preston (part), Ribble Valley (part)  
			  Ribble Valley (part)  
			  Hyndburn (part), Rossendale and Darwen (part)  
			  Preston (part), Ribble Valley (part), South Ribble (part)  
			  South Ribble (part), West Lancashire (part)  
			  Blackpool North and Fleetwood (part), Fylde (part), Lancaster and Wyre (part)  
			  Note:  The figures have been rounded to hundreds.  Source:  Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Look up table for Lancashire local authorities by parliamentary constituency 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Local authority 
			 Blackburn Blackburn with Darwen (part) 
			 Blackpool North and Fleetwood Blackpool (part), Wyre (part) 
			 Blackpool South Blackpool (part) 
			 Burnley Burnley (whole) 
			 Chorley Chorley (whole) 
			 Fylde Fylde (whole), Preston (part), Wyre (part) 
			 Hyndburn Hyncburn (whole), Rossendale (part) 
			 Lancaster and Wyre Lancaster (part), Wyre (part) 
			 Morecambe and Lunesdale Lancaster (part) 
			 Pendle Pendle (whole) 
			 Preston Preston (part), South Ribble (part) 
			 Ribble Valley Ribble Valley (whole), Preston (part), South Ribble (part) 
			 Rossendale and Darwen Blackburn with Darwen (part), Rossendale (part) 
			 South Ribble South Ribble (part), West Lancashire (part) 
			 West Lancashire West Lancashire (part)

Post Codes: Databases

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons the postcode database being created by the Office for National Statistics will be destroyed after the Census rather than being made available for reuse, as referred to in recommendation seven of the report of the Power of Information Taskforce; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for what reasons the postcode database being created by the Office for National Statistics will be destroyed after the Census rather than being made available for reuse, as referred to in Recommendation seven of the report of the Power of Information Taskforce. (300277)
	A high quality and complete list of addresses will be integral to the 2011 Census. By listing every household it will help to ensure that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces accurate results for all local authorities in England and Wales.
	ONS will not destroy the register after the census, but Licensing and legal issues around ownership of the source address data mean that we are not able to make the address register available for use by other government departments or others. It is these other national sources to which the Power of Information Taskforce report refers.
	We will make all new addresses found by ONS through the census address checking process available to the national address list providers (Royal Mail, Ordnance Survey and Local Authorities) to enhance the national lists. However, addresses found during the main census operation will not be shared, as they are deemed 'personal census data' and are confidential under the 1920 Census Act.
	We would like to see the census address register (excluding those addresses found during the census field operation) built upon for future use, but maintenance of the list beyond the 2011 Census falls outside the remit and resources of the current project-and ONS as a whole. Steps are being taken, however, to ensure processes are repeatable and ONS would support the wider use of the register if this can be managed.

Return Migration

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment she has made of levels of return migration to each country of origin.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning what recent assessment has been made of levels of return migration, broken down by country specific data where available. (300491)
	In 2008, 68,000 immigrants came to the UK who were born in the UK. In the same year 258,000 emigrants left the UK who were not born here. Of these, 203,000 emigrants returned to their country of birth. Table 1 provides country specific data where these estimates are considered robust.
	
		
			  Table 1: Emigrants returning to their country of birth in 2008 
			  Country  Estimate ( t housand) 
			 EU 107 
			  Of which:  
			 Poland 50 
			   
			 Rest of the world 96 
			  Of which:  
			 Australia 18 
			 India 11 
			  Note: The estimates may not add up due to rounding.

Shares

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many individuals in the UK owned shares in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000 and  (d) 2009.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many individuals in the UK owned shares in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000 and  (d) 2009. (300976)
	The information you have requested is not available. The only estimate we have of the number of individuals in Great Britain who own shares is for 2006/07. Estimates before this period are not available and results for 2007/08 will be available on 10 December 2009.
	According to a survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 2006/07, 12% of people aged 16 or over in Great Britain held shares other than employee shares or share options and 5% held employee shares or share options. Applying these percentages to the mid-2006 population estimates of people aged 16 or over in Great Britain suggests that 5.6 million people held shares other than employee shares or share options and 2.3 million people held employee shares or share options. These figures should not be added together to estimate the total number of people in Great Britain owning shares, as some individuals may own both types of share. The estimates do not include any indirect investment in shares through for example ISAs, unit trusts or pension funds.

Sir David Rowlands

Paul Beresford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures were employed to determine whether the appointment of Sir David Rowlands to the GIP Advisory Council in July 2008 was consistent with Business Appointment Rules; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Clark: I have been asked to reply.
	The rules for civil servants on the acceptance of outside appointments after leaving Crown service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Sir David Rowlands' appointment to the GIP Advisory Council complied with the rules. Details of the appointment and the process can be found in the 2008-09 Annual Report of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

Social Enterprise Day: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what events her Department organised to mark Social Enterprise Day in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009; and how much each such event cost.

Angela Smith: Hundreds of events take place throughout the country each year on Social Enterprise day. The Office of the Third Sector encourages and supports as many as possible through its involvement in the Make Your Mark: Change Lives Partnership, through support for social enterprise strategic partners and through work with other Government Departments. In 2008, OTS organised its own event to celebrate and promote the work of young social entrepreneurs at Admiralty house at a cost of £6,622. In 2009, OTS organised an event with No. 10 to celebrate Social Enterprise day and the work of the third sector at a cost of £5,603.

Third Sector: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much matched funding her Department has provided to the Grassroots Endowment Challenge since its inception.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office intends to announce the first annual endowment performance data, for the £130 million Grassroots Grants programme, in early December 2009.
	This data will relate to the one-year period, from the programme launch in September 2008 to September 2009.

Third Sector: Finance

Willie Rennie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what strategic grant funding her Department awarded to third sector organisations in 2008-09.

Angela Smith: Office of the Third Sector (OTS) operates a strategic funding programme, which provides long-term core funding and financial stability to third sector organisations that operate at a national and regional level. The programme represents long-term partnership working, strategic partners have been integral in developing policy in a number of areas, including supporting the sector through the downturn.
	In 2008-09 we provided strategic grants worth £12,206,315 to support 42 third sector organisation strategic partners who can speak with authority and credibility over a very wide range of sector interests. These figures do not include funding for V, who also receives strategic funding but on a separate basis. In 2008-09 they received £5 million, which included marketing costs.
	
		
			  Strategic partners funded in 2008-09 
			  Organisation/partnership  £ 
			 Action with Communities in Rural England 210,125 
			 Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations 210,125 
			 BMESCP/Voice4Change 262,656 
			 British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres 155,006 
			 CEMVO 262,656 
			 Charities Evaluation Services 154,812 
			 Charity Trustee Networks 94,556 
			 Church Urban Fund 90,538 
			 Community Action Network 123,711 
			 Community Development Exchange 252,602 
			 Community Matters 261,603 
			 Consortium of Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered Voluntary and Community Organisations 94,556 
			 Development Trust Association 145,624 
			 FaithAction 262,656 
			 Foyer Federation 118,195 
			 National Association for Voluntary and Community Action 424,753 
			 National Council for Voluntary Youth Services 242,143 
			 National Council of Voluntary Organisations 1,040,260 
			 Third Sector European Network 84,313 
			 Urban Forum 96,132 
			 Women's Resource Centre 196,993 
			 Co-operatives UK 101,000 
			 Prowess 30,000 
			 School for Social Entrepreneurs 72,000 
			 Social Enterprise Coalition 488,000 
			 Social Enterprise London CIC 85,000 
			 Social Firms 122,000 
			 The Plunkett Foundation 63,000 
			 Association of Charitable Foundations 126,100 
			 Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust 94,600 
			 British Youth Council 94,600 
			 BTCV 315,200 
			 Citizenship Foundation 210,100 
			 Community Foundation Network 210,000 
			 Community Service Volunteers 1,050,600 
			 Institute of Fundraising 262,700 
			 Mentoring and Befriending Foundation 1,050,600 
			 National Youth Agency 315,200 
			 TimeBank 525,300 
			 Volunteering England 1,575,900 
			 Youth Action Network 157,600 
			 Youth net UK 472,800 
			 Total 12,206,315

Unemployment: Tonbridge

John Stanley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the  (a) numerical and  (b) percentage change in the number of people unemployed in Tonbridge and Malling constituency was in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the  (a) numerical and  (b) percentage change in the level of youth unemployment in Tonbridge and Malling constituency was in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available;
	(3)  what proportion of the change in the level of unemployment in Tonbridge and Malling constituency in the latest 12 months for which figures are available was attributable to  (a) men and  (b) women;
	(4)  what the occupational groups were of people who became unemployed in Tonbridge and Malling constituency in the latest 12 months for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking what the (a) numerical and (b) percentage change in unemployment in Tonbridge and Malling constituency was in the last 12 months for which figure are available (301259); what the (a) numerical and (b) percentage change in the level of youth unemployment in Tonbridge and Malling constituency was in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available (301260); what proportion of the change in the level of unemployment in Tonbridge and Malling constituency in the latest 12 months for which figures are available was attributable to (a) men and (b) women (301261); and what the occupational groups were of people who became unemployed in Tonbridge and Malling constituency in the latest 12 months for which figures are available (301262).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Estimates of unemployment for Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency are not available due to small sample sizes. As an alternative, information has been provided based on claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance.
	Table 1 shows the increase in the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, between October 2008 and October 2009, aged between 18 and 24 and in total, resident in the Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency, along with the percentage increase between these two periods.
	Table 2 shows the proportion of the total change in the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, between October 2008 and October 2009, resident in the Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency, by males and females.
	Table 3 shows the usual occupations of people who have commenced a new period of claim for Jobseeker's Allowance over the period from November 2008 to October 2009 along with the proportion each occupation group contributes to the total new claims. The total number of new claims over the period is much higher than the change in number of claims in Tables 1 and 2 because many new claims would have subsequently been terminated over the period.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at: http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Change and percentage change in the number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency between October 2008 and October 2009 
			   Aged 18 to 24  Total 
			 October 2008 165 615 
			 October 2009 350 1,245 
			 Change 185 630 
			 Percentage change 112 102 
			  Note: Count data rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion of change in number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency between October 2008 and October 2009 by sex 
			   Male  Female 
			 October 2008 450 165 
			 October 2009 895 350 
			 Change 445 185 
			 Proportion of change 71 29 
			  Note: Count data rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Proportion of total on-flows( 1)  to jobseeker's allowance from November 2008 to October 2009 by usual occupation group( 2)  of people resident in Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary constituency 
			  Occupation group  On-flows  Proportion of on-flows 
			 Occupation unknown 45 1 
			 Managers and Senior Officials 520 13 
			 Professional Occupations 200 5 
			 Associate Professional and Technical Occupations 395 10 
			 Administrative and Secretarial Occupations 540 14 
			 Skilled Trades Occupations 540 14 
			 Personal Service Occupations 160 4 
			 Sales and Customer Service Occupations 500 13 
			 Process, Plant and Machine Operatives 295 7 
			 Elementary Occupations 795 20 
			 (1) On-flows are people who started a new claim for jobseeker's allowance during the period. New claimants may have also subsequently terminated a claim during the period. (2) Occupation group based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000.  Note: Count data rounded to nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System

Unemployment: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of long-term youth unemployment was in  (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the rate of long-term youth unemployment was in  (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years. (302342)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Estimates of unemployment for the requested age and duration are not available. As an alternative, in Table 1, we have provided the percentage of persons, aged between 18 and 24 who have been claiming unemployment related benefits for over 52 weeks, resident in the Vale of Clwyd and each English Government Office Region, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. The data have been provided for the latest available period of October 2009, and October of each year to 1989. Data for Vale of Clwyd and Northern Ireland are only available from 1996.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.noraisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Persons aged 18 to 24 claiming unemployment related benefits( 1 ) for over 52 weeks resident in Vale of Clwyd and each English Government office region, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland 
			  Percentage 
			  October  Vale of Clwyd  North East  North West  Yorkshire and The Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East  London  South-east  South-west  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			 1989 - 3.0 2.5 1.9 1.1 1.7 0.4 1.4 0.3 0.6 1.6 2,9 - 
			 1990 - 2.4 2.2 1.6 0.9 1.6 0.4 1.2 0.3 0,6 1.3 2.2 - 
			 1991 - 3.4 3,0 2.5 1.8 2.4 1.1 2.2 0,9 1.4 2.3 2.5 - 
			 1992 - 4.3 4.1 3.6 3.0 4.1 2.3 3.9 2.1 2.7 3.4 3.1 - 
			 1993 - 4.6 4.2 3.8 3.4 4.6 2.9 4.6 2.7 3.1 3.6 3.1 - 
			 1994 - 4,3 3.5 3.3 3.0 39 2.4 4.3 2.2 2.5 3.1 2.8 - 
			 1995 - 4.0 3.0 2.9 2.4 3,0 1.9 3.9 1.7 2.0 2.6 2.2 - 
			 1996 3.9 3.4 2.6 2.5 2.0 2.6 1.6 3.2 1.4 1.8 2.5 2.0 3.3 
			 1997 1.7 2.0 1.5 1.4 0.9 1,4 0.8 1.7 0.6 0.8 1.4 1.2 2.3 
			 1998 0.9 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 1.0 0.4 1.0 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.8 1.6 
			 1999 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0,2 0.5 
			 2000 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.5 
			 2001 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.5 
			 2002 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0,1 0.1 0.3 
			 2003 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 01 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 2004 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0,1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 2005 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 2006 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0,3 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 
			 2007 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 2008 0.4 0.1 0,1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			 2009 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 01 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.5 
			  Note:  Changes in overall levels of long term youth claimants of unemployment related benefits have partially been influenced by the introduction of re-employment programmes, such as New Deal.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Young People: Females

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many girls older than 12 and younger than 18 years old were resident in each local authority area in 2008.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many girls older than 12 and younger than 18 years old were resident in each local authority area in 2008. (302544)
	Table 1 shows the number of females aged over 12 and under 18 resident in each local authority area in the UK in mid-2008. These are the latest data available. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of 10 to 17 year olds there were for being drunk and disorderly in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each police force area in 2008.

Alan Campbell: Statistics for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.

Asylum

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has evaluated on the extent to which  (a) linguistic and  (b) economic factors affect the decisions of (i) migrants and (ii) asylum seekers to seek to live in the UK.

Phil Woolas: The information is as follows:
	 1. Linguistic factors affecting migrants' decisions
	Other than the study referred to as follows in relation to asylum seekers, there are no reports published by the Home office which refer to linguistic factors affecting migrants' decisions to live in the UK.
	 2. Economic factors affecting migrants' decisions
	Although there is no published information from the Department answering your query, the department has made use of work undertaken by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in 2003, entitled The Determinants of International Migration into the UK: A Panel Based Modelling Approach, by James Mitchell and Nigel Pain.
	 3. Linguistic factors affecting asylum seekers' decisions to live in the UK
	In 2002, the Home Office published a study (Home Office Research Study 243) on the decision making of asylum seekers, entitled Understanding the decision-making of asylum seekers, by Vaughan Robinson and Jeremy Segrott.
	This work was undertaken by the Migration Unit in the Department of Geography at the University of Wales, Swansea.
	 4. Economic factors affecting asylum seekers' decisions to live in the UK
	A number of studies making reference to economic factors have been used, the
	first of which is referred to in (3), above. A number of other studies also refer to economic factors including:
	The social networks of asylum seekers and the dissemination of information about countries of asylum, by Khaled Koser and Charles Pinkerton (2002). Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate;
	An assessment of the impact of asylum policies in Europe 1990-2000, by Roger Zetter, David Griffiths, Silva Ferretti and Martyn Pearl (2003). Home Office Research Study 259;
	The Determinants of International Migration into the UK: A Panel Based Modelling Approach, by James Mitchell and Nigel Pain (2003). National Institute of Economic and Social Research;
	Why asylum policy harmonization undermines refugee burden-sharing, by Eiko R. Thielemann (2004), European journal of migration and law, 6 (1). Pp 47-65;
	Migration and the Economic Downturn: what to Expect in the European Union, by Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Madeleine Sumption, and Will Somerville (2009). Migration Policy Institute;
	Immigration in the United Kingdom: The recession and beyond, by Will Somerville and Madeleine Sumption (2009). Migration Policy Institute; and
	Does Policy Matter? On Governments' Attempts to Control Unwanted Migration, by Eiko R. Thielemann (2003). London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE. November 2003. IMS Discussion Paper No. 9.

Asylum

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's question-and-answer session with members of the Mumsnet forum on 16 October 2009; to what categories of asylum seeker the inflationary increases referred in the Prime Minister's discussion do not apply; what the change in the weekly amount of support to a single adult asylum seeker aged 25 years is; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Prime Minister informed Mumsnet that the Government are not cutting the amount of money given to lone parent asylum seeking families. The lone parent rate will remain at £42.16 and the amount of money going to asylum-seeking children is going up by 5.2 per cent. These changes came into effect on 6 July 2009.
	The existing support structure was modelled on that used by the Department for Work and Pensions for income support. This system distinguishes between persons aged under and over 25. Given that all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute have access to rent free accommodation with utilities included, we do not consider the essential living needs of supported asylum seekers change on the 25(th) birthday.
	Therefore, there has been no increase to the existing over 25 rate and from 5 October no new support recipients have received this rate. Instead, a new unified rate of support for all single adult asylum seekers (excluding lone parents) regardless of age was introduced. This rate is £35.13 per week. We will honour the old over-25 rate for those asylum seekers already in receipt of it by 5 October until their appeals rights are exhausted or they are granted.
	With the exception of the rate for lone parents, and the rate for single adults over 25, on 6 July all other asylum support rates were increased by 5.2 per cent. in line with the Consumer Price Index for September 2008.

Asylum Seekers: Aviation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions an airline refused to take on grounds of disruptive behaviour an asylum seeker who was being deported in the last  (a) six months and  (b) two years.

Phil Woolas: Agency records show that in the last six months, on 15 occasions an airline has refused to take on grounds of disruptive behaviour an individual we are seeking to deport.

Asylum: Iraq

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unsuccessful asylum seekers of Iraqi nationality have  (a) been granted a right to remain in the UK,  (b) been deported to Iraq and  (c) been taken into detention after a refusal to travel to Iraq in (i) each of the last three years and (ii) 2009 to date.

Phil Woolas: The table shows the number of Iraqi failed asylum seekers who have been subsequently granted some form of leave and been forcibly removed (or voluntarily departed) from the United Kingdom in each of the last three years to the end of June 2009 (the latest period for which figures are available).
	The figures in  (a) do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
	National Statistics on immigration and asylum, including those in  (b), are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	Since August 2009 the UK Border Agency has published statistics for the numbers of people entering detention, broken down by country of nationality. These data are currently available for January to June 2009, and can be viewed in Tables G and H of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Supplementary Tables, April to June 2009:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/immiq209supp.xls
	However, the reason for an individual's detention, including a refusal to return to their country of origin, is not recorded centrally. To retrieve this information would require the manual examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   (a) Granted leave  (b) Removed( 1) 
			 2006 2,971 1,645 
			 2007 2,452 470 
			 2008 2,249 790 
			 2009 (to June) 1,404 490 
			 (1) Including those who have departed voluntarily.

Biometrics

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was for a biometric information enrolment appointment following a postal application to the biometric enrolment centres at  (a) Croydon,  (b) Sheffield,  (c) Liverpool,  (d) Birmingham,  (e) Glasgow and  (f) Belfast was in 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	As at 24 November 2009, the waiting time for a biometric enrolment appointment following a postal application was two days in Croydon, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow and four days in Belfast.

Borders: Personal Records

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a statutory basis for the e-borders programme.

Phil Woolas: Primary legislation was enacted in 2006 to provide the framework enabling powers for the programme. The primary legislation (paragraphs 27 and 27B of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 as amended in 2006 and sections 32 to 38 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) creates powers for the UK Border Agency and the police, to obtain passenger, crew and service data from carriers in advance of all movements into and out of the UK and a duty for the border agencies to share that data among themselves.
	This was followed by five statutory instruments in 2007 and 2008, which:
	(a) Commenced the above powers,
	(b) Extended the powers to cover channel tunnel trains,
	(c) Specified the data that can be requested by UKBA and the police,
	(d) Specified the data that must be shared between the border agencies, and
	(e) Brought the code of practice regarding data sharing into force.
	The Immigration Simplification Bill will update the clauses of legislation enacted in this area.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Home Office policy is that no official funds are used for Christmas parties: any parties attended are entirely at the cost of the individual member of staff.

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Phil Woolas: No Ministers or officials from my Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Crime: Business

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to collect data on the annual cost of crime to small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: There are no plans to collect new data on the cost of crime to small businesses annually. However, the National Retail Crime Steering Group Action Plan published on the Home Office website outlines steps we are taking with retail partners and the police to improve the collation and sharing of data on business crime.

Crime: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded crimes involving knives there were in the Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office collects knife/sharp instrument offences data at force level only, so data are not available for Milton Keynes.
	Additionally, data have only been collated since 2007, so data are only available for the last two years, not the requested five year period.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office is participating in the Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) as part of the Department's mainstream Value for Money Programme. The Department has a strong record of delivery against Value for Money targets demonstrating its sustained, long-term commitment to this work.
	In the 2009 annual departmental report the Home Office reported gains worth £544 million. Of this £85 million was delivered through better procurement services including collaborative contracts, consolidated IT and rationalisation of the estate, forming part of the Department's contribution to the Government's £35 billion target for the current spending review period.
	Building upon this work, we will use the Operational Efficiency Programme to bring extra focus to achieving greater efficiency in a number of cross-cutting areas. This will include taking additional steps to drive improvements in our back office, collaborative procurement, property and IT. The details of these savings will next be published in the 2010 autumn performance report.

Departmental Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the error rate in each database run by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/policy/publicsectorfood/awareness.htm
	The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
	Although it is too early to show a trend, the report indicates that the amount of domestically produced food consumed by Government Departments in England is increasing. The report shows the proportion of domestically produced food procured by the Home Office where figures were available and which had gone up from 68 per cent. in 2006-07 to 70 per cent. in 2007-08. Home Office Headquarters PFI service provider is now providing data to DEFRA for use in future reports and in due course data are also expected to come from our new regional facilities delivery contracts let in June 2008. DEFRA expect to publish a third report at the end of 2009.

Departmental ICT

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which organisations his Department has had exclusivity agreements for information technology  (a) hardware and  (b) software in each of the last five years; how many such agreements have been breached in each year; and what the cost to his Department was of each such breach.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department has had no exclusivity agreements with any organisations for information technology for either hardware or software in each of the last five years.
	One of our executive agencies the Criminal Records Bureau has an exclusivity agreement and details are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Details 
			 Home Office/Agency Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) 
			 Contract description CRB Disclosure Service 
			 Name of organisation exclusivity agreement with Capita 
			 Contract start date 2002 
			 Number of breaches of the agreement 0 
			 Cost 0 
		
	
	The remaining two executive agencies, UK Border Agency and United Kingdom Identity and Passport Service do not have any exclusivity agreements with any organisations for information technology for either hardware or software in each of the last five years.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies do not have any direct employer-employee relationships with individual consultants or contractors.
	The executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies engage consultants and contractors through suppliers on consultancy and contractor assignments. They do not, therefore, pay the salaries, nor any incentives or bonuses for these individuals.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Phil Woolas: We can provide complete information relating to this question only at a disproportionate cost. However, the information we do hold is set out in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Jobs advertised externally for online application only 
			   Provision for those who do not have access to the internet  Proportion of jobs advertised externally for online application only (Percentage) 
			 Home Office HQ Candidates who are unable to access the internet have the option of contacting the recruitment provider who will input the information on to the online application on their behalf 20 
			 Senior Civil Service Applicants can submit hard copy applications to a postal address 0 
			 UK Border Agency All vacancies have a facility for paper copies to be sent to candidates who are unable to apply online or via e-mail for a variety of reasons (1)- 
			 Identity and Passport Service The only exception to online only applications is for those with a disability that prevents them from using an online application form. Hard copy provision is made for disabled staff in these circumstances. For other applicants there is free access to the internet via public libraries and other access points available at no cost 100 
			 Criminal Records Bureau Applicants can submit hard copy applications to a postal address 0 
			 (1) Information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mass of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office collects data on waste and recycling in line with the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets.
	These require that data are supplied on total tonnage of waste recycled but it is not broken down into its constituent parts and this information is not available for the entire estate.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department it publishes.

Phil Woolas: As a matter of course, the Home Office publishes all of its datasets which meet the definition of 'official statistics' set out in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The statistics are published in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and the National Statistician's Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office and its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's) are committed to supporting the wellbeing of its staff and have in place a range of flexible working policies that can help all staff balance their work and home life.
	The flexible working options offered vary throughout the Department, its agencies and NDPB's but can include flexi-time working, compressed hours, term time, part time, job share, and home working arrangements. Flexible working arrangements are agreed locally and may also be used on an ad hoc, informal basis.
	The Home Office policy on Flexible working offers all staff the facility to apply for flexible working using any (or a combination) of the options listed. A draft of the policy is attached at Annex 2 placed in the House Library.
	Unless there are specific business reasons why a post can only be filled by a full-time member of staff all posts must be advertised as open to part-time staff and job sharers. A Home Office Job Share Database is available to help staff identify potential job share partners within the Home Office HQ and UK Border Agency. Staff across the Department and its agencies and NDPB's can also use the Civil Service wide Job Share Database.
	Information on the flexible working arrangements in use in the Home Office Headquarters, the executive agencies and the NDPB's is provided in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Flexible Working in the Home Office its Executive Agencies and NDPB's 
			   Total number of staff employed  The proportion of part time staff (includes part time, job-share and term time) as a  p ercentage of the full time staff employed  The proportion of staff who use flexi-time working arrangements  The number of staff using other forms of flexible working (including compressed hours, annualised hours and homeworking) 
			 Home Office Headquarters (1)2,925 394 (13.47%)(1) 47.35% Data not available(2) 
			 Executive Agencies 
			 UK Border Agency (1)18,211 (1)3,453 (18.96%) Data not held centrally(3) Data not available(2) 
			 Identity and Passport Service (1)4,387 (1)1,308 (29.82%) Data not held centrally(3) Data not available(2) 
			 Criminal Records Bureau (1)576 (1)94 (16.32%) 95% Less than 5% of staff 
			 Public Bodies 
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) 4,230 226 (5.34%) Data not held centrally(3) 81 
			 National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) 1,523 116 (7.6%) 97.90% 108 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) 468 26 (5.6%) Data not held centrally(3) 16 
			 Security Industry Authority (SIA) 165 3 (1.80%) 93.30% 5 
			 Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) 60 3 (5%) 100% 8 
			 Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) 229 29 (15.28%) 100% 5 
			 (1) Source: Home Department Dataview Extract as at 31 March 2009. Representative of Paid Civil Servants (2) Staff with compressed hours working patterns are recorded as Full Time Equivalents and cannot be identified separately as working flexibly. Data on staff who have formal or informal homeworking arrangements is not recorded centrally (3) Staff have access to flexi-time working arrangements, however not all staff record their working patterns electronically. Data on the number of staff using the flexi-time systems in use is also not collated centrally.

Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many asylum seekers were awaiting deportation on 1 November 2009;
	(2)  how many foreign national prisoners were awaiting deportation on 1 November 2009.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency only deports foreign nationals offenders who meet the following criteria for deportation:
	A court recommendation.
	For non-European economic area nationals-a custodial sentence of 12 months or more either in one sentence, or as an aggregate of two or three sentences over a period of five years or a custodial sentence of any length for a drug offence (an offence other than possession only).
	For EEA nationals-a custodial sentence of 12 months or more for an offence involving drugs, violent or sexual crimes or a custodial sentence of 24 months or more for other offences.
	At the point where no barriers to removal exist, the UK Border Agency will set a direction to remove. According to provisional management information, as at 20 November, approximately 125 foreign nationals who met the relevant deportation criteria had removal directions set against them.
	Of these, around one third had also submitted a claim for asylum at some stage prior to the removal direction being set.

Deportation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which section of his Department is responsible for handling the legal proceedings relating to the deportation of foreign nationals on grounds of national security.

Phil Woolas: The Special Cases Directorate of the United Kingdom Border Agency manage the cases through the courts. Legal Advisors Branch and the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism in the Home Office also deal with specific aspects of the legal case.
	Other directorates can be brought in as and when required in specific cases.

Deportation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been  (a) deported and  (b) excluded from the UK on the grounds of fomenting extremism under the 12-point plan in each quarter since the plan was implemented.

Phil Woolas: I have taken the term fomenting extremism as equating to unacceptable behaviour under the policy announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Home Secretary on 24 August 2005. The powers to exclude or deport an individual on the grounds of their unacceptable behaviour are directed at foreign nationals who foment hatred or violence in support of their extremist beliefs. In each quarter since August 2005 the following number of foreign nationals have been  (a) deported and  (b) excluded from the UK on the grounds of unacceptable behaviour:
	 In 2005
	 (a) 0
	 (b) Q3 = 3(1)
	Q4 = 18
	 In 2006
	 (a) Q4 = 1
	 (b) Q1 = 8
	Q2 = 10
	Q3 = 4
	Q4 = 11
	 In 2007
	 (a) 0
	 (b) Q1 = 0
	Q2 = 7
	Q3 = 5
	Q4 = 9
	 In 2008
	 (a) 0
	 (b) Q1 = 4
	Q2 = 0
	Q3 = 0
	Q4 = 8
	 In 2009
	 (a) 0
	 (b) Q1 = 14
	Q2 = 4
	Q3 = 1 to date
	(1) This figure is from August 2005 and included within previous PQ answer on 29 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2359W the figure given was four. This figure has now been reduced to three due to the re-classification of one exclusion, from unacceptable behaviour to public order.

Deportation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been extradited for terrorism-related offences in each quarter since the announcement of the 12-point plan in August 2005; and how many requests from his Department for extradition for terrorism-related offences  (a) are outstanding and  (b) have been made since August 2005.

Phil Woolas: Between August 2005 and September 2008, 13 people were extradited by the UK for terrorism-related offences; four people were discharged by UK courts; five cases are ongoing and one case was withdrawn by the Requesting State. The following table gives a breakdown of these figures.
	The UK's extradition partners are divided into two categories. Category 1 territories are those Member States of the EU that operate the Framework Decision on the European arrest warrant (EAW). Category 2 territories are those territories outside the EU with which the UK has extradition relations by way of either bilateral or multilateral extradition treaties:
	 Part 1
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for cases involving Scotland) are the designated authorities for the receipt and transmission of EAWs in the UK. It is not possible from current SOCA systems to break down the number of extraditions and EAWs issued or received by offence type.
	 Part 2
	There have been no persons extradited between the UK and Category 2 territories, in either direction, for terrorism-related offences since September 2008.
	As a matter of policy and practice, the Home Office will neither confirm nor deny the existence of any extradition request ahead of a person's arrest.
	
		
			  Extradition requests for terrorist related offences since August 2005 
			   Arrested  Status as at 17 September 2008  Number 
			  2005
			  Pre-August 2005 Withdrawn by Requesting State 1 
			  3(rd) quarter Ongoing 1 
			  Pre-August 2005 Extradited 2 
			  2006
			  Pre-August 2005 Discharged 1 
			  Pre-August 2005 Extradited 3 
			  1(st) quarter Discharged 1 
			  2(nd) quarter Extradited 1 
			  3(rd) quarter Extradited 1 
			  3(rd) quarter Ongoing 1 
			  2007
			  Pre-August 2005 Extradited 1 
			  2(nd) quarter Extradited 3 
			  2(nd) quarter Ongoing 1 
			  4(th) quarter Ongoing 2 
			  4(th) quarter Discharged 2 
			  2008
			  Pre-August 2005 Extradited 1 
			  1(st) quarter Extradited 1 
			  Note: There are currently four other cases before the courts which were received before August 2005.

Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of immigration removals were made at the  (a) first and  (b) second attempt in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Finance

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the  (a) forced and  (b) voluntary removal of an individual.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide a comprehensive figure for the cost of enforced or voluntary removals because there are many different factors which may or may not be involved in the cost of a case (such as detention costs, travel costs, and the cost of escorting the individual in question). We are unable to disaggregate the specific costs and any attempt to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the National Audit Office (NAO) give a breakdown of the cost of typical asylum cases in 2007-08 in part four of their report 'The Home Office Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency' which was published on 23 January 2009. The table on page 36 of the report sets out 12 typical profiles, including cases which result in either enforced or voluntary removal, and the lower to upper end estimate of costs either excluding or including accommodation and support costs. For example, profile four, estimates the cost of a case resulting in the enforced removal of a single, undetained adult after he or she has exhausted their appeal rights, as being between £7,900 and £17,000 excluding accommodation and support, or £12,000 to £25,600 including accommodation and support. This report is available to view at the following website:
	www.nao.org.uk/publications/0809/management_of_ asylum_appl.aspx
	However, the UK Border Agency aims to ensure removals are effected at the lowest available rate subject to operational needs.

DNA and Fingerprint Database

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether foreign intelligence agencies or agents have access to  (a) the Government's DNA and fingerprint database and  (b) other private information on British citizens and residents gathered under counter-terrorism legislation in the last five years.

David Hanson: Foreign intelligence agencies do not have direct access to the UK's DNA and fingerprint databases. But it is possible for them to receive DNA and fingerprint information from the UK by, for example, making a request for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, or through intelligence channels via organisations such as Interpol and Europol.
	The UK has counter-terrorism police officers (counter-terrorism and extremism liaison officers known as CTELOs) based within foreign law enforcement agencies and UK missions. Their role is to co-ordinate bilateral and multilateral liaison (including operational inquiries), requests for international legal assistance and exchange of police counter-terrorism and extremism intelligence.

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps the Government is taking to protect women with an insecure immigration status from domestic violence;
	(2)  what progress the Government has made on its review of the 20 day proposal for conditional funding for victims of domestic violence;
	(3)  how many women of insecure immigration status the Government estimates experienced domestic violence in 2008;
	(4)  what interim measures the Government has put in place to aid women of insecure immigration status who experience domestic violence until their immigration status is resolved.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 25 November 2009
	 Statistical data confirm that in 2008, 1,342 indefinite leave to remain (ILR) applications under the domestic violence rule were received by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
	Over the past year, the UKBA have made a number of amendments to their processes to assist this group of victims including;
	Extensive revisions to the Domestic Violence Immigration Directorate Instructions
	Substantial changes to the SET (DV) application form, for example eliminating duplications in checklists and providing more scope for applicants to explain the reasons why they cannot supply information
	Implementing a new definition of destitution
	The Home Office will be running a pilot from 30 November 2009 for a three month period for victims of domestic violence who entered the UK on a spouse or partner visa and consequently have no recourse to public funds.
	The pilot will provide upfront funding to the refuge provider to cover the essential housing and living costs incurred in supporting the victim while they make an application for ILR and await their decision from the UKBA. The funding will be available for a maximum of eight weeks.
	The pilot will be monitored and evaluated throughout with an overall evaluation being conducted in March 2010 which will assist in informing our next steps in developing a longer-term solution to the issue.
	 Note:
	The figures quoted have not been quality assured and are not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Domestic Violence

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average annual number of women with an immigration status which is not determined who were subject to domestic violence in the latest period for which information is available.

Alan Campbell: Statistical data confirm that in 2008, 1,342 Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications under the Domestic Violence Rule were received by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
	 Note:
	The figures quoted have not been quality assured and are not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Domestic Violence: Unemployment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has undertaken on any relationship between levels of domestic violence and unemployment.

Alan Campbell: The British Crime Survey (BCS) shows risk of domestic violence by personal characteristics, including the respondent's employment status. Table 3.04 from Crime in England and Wales 2008-09
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1109chap3.pdf
	shows that 0.8 per cent. of unemployed people experienced domestic violence in the past year compared with 0.3 per cent. of employed people. However, this apparent difference is not statistically significant.
	The data are based on face-to-face BCS interviews. Figures from the BCS self-completion module on intimate violence also show no statistically significant difference in the risk of domestic abuse between employed and unemployed people. See Table 3.16 in
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0209.pdf

Dual Nationality: Pakistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1462W, on dual nationality, whether any steps have been taken by his Department to ascertain the numbers of British passport holders who also hold Pakistani nationality.

Meg Hillier: There has been no change in the position. As applicants for British passports are not required to say whether they hold another nationality, this information is not available.

Entry Clearances

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas for family visitors to the UK have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused by applicants of (i) Pakistani, (ii) Indian, (iii) Bangladeshi, (iv) Sri Lankan and (v) all nationalities in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The number of applications for family visit visas from nationals of  (a) Pakistan;  (b) India;  (c) Bangladesh;  (d) Sri Lanka; and  (e) other countries, that were (i) granted; and (ii) refused, in the financial year 2008-09, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Family visit visa applications-financial year 2008-09 
			   Issued  Refused  Refusal rate (percentage) 
			 Pakistan 34,778 23,957 41 
			 India 87,530 13,724 14 
			 Bangladesh 8,431 3,862 31 
			 Sri Lanka 10,308 2,112 17 
			 Other nationality 132,470 41,776 24 
			 Total 273,517 85,431 24

Entry Clearances

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to the UK Border Agency is of processing  (a) a postal and  (b) a premium application for further leave to remain under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 November 2009
	In 2009-10, the estimated average unit cost of processing a postal leave to remain application is £357 and the estimated average unit cost of processing an application made at a Public Enquiry Office is £373.

Entry Clearances

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for UK citizenship were refused on the grounds that the applicant was not of good character in each of the last three years; and of them how many were so refused on  (a) grounds of national security and  (b) grounds other than national security.

Phil Woolas: The available data for refusals of British citizenship on grounds that the applicant is not of good character, 2006 to 2008 are shown in the following table.
	It is not possible to separately identify within these data which involved national security considerations without reference to the individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on persons refused British citizenship by general reason for refusal are published in table 7 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom. This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Refusal of British citizenship on grounds of the applicant not being of good character, 2006-08 
			  Reason for refusal -n ot of good character( 1)  Number of decisions 
			 2006 1,765 
			 2007 1,695 
			 2008(2) 2,665 
			 (1 )Includes applicants who are considered a threat to national security. (2) Provisional

Entry Clearances

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries the UK has a visa waiver agreement.

Phil Woolas: European Economic Area (EEA) nationals are entitled to free movement and do not require visas or other permission to enter the United Kingdom.
	There are two groups subject to immigration control known as visa nationals and non-visa nationals. A visa national needs entry clearance (a visa) to enter the UK in any circumstances. A non-visa national can come to the UK for less than six months as a visitor without a visa, subject to a number of exclusions such as marriage, study or medical treatment, but does need entry clearance to come to the UK for more than six months.
	At present, nationals of over 100 countries or territorial entities are visa nationals. The countries are set out in Appendix 1 to the immigration rules at:
	www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/appendix1
	The nationals of all other countries outside the EEA are non-visa nationals. The UK global visa regime was recently reviewed as part of the Visa Waiver Test. This is an assessment against a series of benchmarks, by which we considered whether a visa regime should be maintained, lifted or imposed. The results of the test were announced in February this year and new visa regimes were introduced on South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Bolivia in spring/summer. In addition the visa regime on Taiwan was lifted and a partial visa regime was introduced in Venezuela.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students have switched from a tier 4 to a tier 2 visa since 2008.

Phil Woolas: A tier 4 student is able to switch into three of the four categories of tier 2-general, minister of religion and sportsperson. The information requested is not readily available and accurate data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students have switched from a tier 4 to a tier 2 visa since 2008.

Phil Woolas: A Tier 4 student is able to switch into three of the four categories of Tier 2 - General, Minister of Religion and Sportsperson. The information requested is not readily available and accurate data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students of each nationality have  (a) applied for,  (b) been granted and  (c) been refused visas under arrangements for the post-study work route of entry to the UK in each month since June 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 November 2009
	A table has been placed in the House Library showing the number of non-EEA nationals of each nationality who have  (a) applied for,  (b) been granted, and  (c) been refused visas under the Points Based System, Tier 1 (Post Study Work) entry route, in each month from June 2008 to September 2009

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of applications for further leave to remain have been refused since the introduction of Tier 4 provisions to the Immigration Rules; and how long such decisions have taken on average.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	Data relating to decisions on applications for further leave to remain were published on 26 November in the Home Office statistical publication Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom-Third Quarter 2009. Copies are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	The requested information will therefore not be available for release until this date.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have applied more than once for a student visa at each post in each month since the introduction of Tier 4 provisions to the Immigration Rules.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	Total numbers are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2009 205 
			 May 2009 1,021 
			 June 2009 2,267 
			 July 2009 3,754 
			 August 2009 6,966 
			 September 2009 8,805 
		
	
	These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.
	We could provide data for each post only at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for an administrative review of overseas visa posts have been received from applicants refused a Tier 4 visa since the introduction of Tier 4 provisions to the Immigration Rules; and how long it has taken to complete such a review at each post in each month since the inception of Tier 4.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	The number of requests for an administrative review received at overseas posts are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2009 1 
			 May 2009 44 
			 June 2009 174 
			 July 2009 304 
			 August 2009 307 
			 September 2009 589 
		
	
	These data are based on manual returns and may be incomplete.
	This data is unpublished and should be treated as provisional.
	We do not keep information on the duration of the administrative review process.

Foreign Nationals: Detainees

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the number of sentence-expired foreign nationals being held in detention under his Department's immigration powers.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency continues to build upon the success we have made with the deportation and removal of foreign national prisoners. In 2008 we deported or removed a record 5,395 foreign national prisoners. The process of deportation can be delayed in a number of ways through last minute legal barriers and the documentation process is often lengthy for some nationalities.
	As at 1 August 2009 there were approximately 1,800 foreign national offenders detained under immigration powers who had completed their sentence and were awaiting deportation. Around 500 of those were detained under immigration powers in Her Majesty's prisons.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been introduced to tackle discrimination in hiring and dismissing migrants within the workforce in the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: Migrants that access legal migration routes are entitled to the same protections against discrimination in the workplace as resident workers.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which employment sectors require migrant labour.

Phil Woolas: The Government are advised by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on the case for meeting specific skill shortages through the Points Based System (PBS) for non-EEA nationals. In particular, the MAC advises the Government on the coverage of the Shortage Occupation List which informs the scoring of points under Tier 2 (skilled workers) of the PBS. In doing so, the MAC not only identifies those occupations where skills are in short supply but also assesses the extent to which it is sensible for such shortage to be remedied through the admission of migrant workers.
	The MAC's most recent report on the content of the Shortage Occupation List was published on 21 October. The Government's decision to accept its findings in full was announced on 12 November. The Government have also announced, on 11 November, their National Skills Strategy in which the Government made clear their intention to strengthen the linkage between the MAC's work to identify those areas where migration could assist in meeting immediate skills needs and future work by the UK Commission on Employment and Skills to develop and prioritise training strategies.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to inform the public of the economic and social contribution made by migrants.

Phil Woolas: The Government have consistently emphasised the economic and social benefits that migration brings if it is properly managed. In introducing the points based system, the Government have sought to maximise the economic benefits of migration by ensuring that we admit those who possess skills that UK businesses and providers of public services need or who will contribute to UK exports by studying here. However, as both the Home Secretary's speech on 4 November and the Prime Minister's speech on 12 November have made clear, it is equally important that the migration system is proofed against abuse and protects the interests of communities and resident workers if the public is to have confidence in it and the benefits it delivers.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information his Department holds on trends in temporary labour migration in the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: Information on non-EEA nationals entering the United Kingdom by reason for entry is published in section 1 in the Home Office statistical bulletin Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom, 2008. This includes those persons granted leave to enter in work-related categories.
	The following table is an extract of table 1.4 from the publication showing the number of work permit holders and their dependants entering the United Kingdom in the last 10 years.
	Statistics on other work-related routes of entry can be found in table 1.2 in the above publication which may be obtained from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	Information on A8 accession state nationals registered under the Workers Registration Scheme can be found in the Accession Monitoring Report on the UK Border Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report/
	Statistics covering applications for accession worker cards and registration certificates by nationals of Bulgaria and Romania (known as the A2 countries) are available from the UK Border Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/bulgarianromanian/
	The above publications are also available from the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Section 1: Border Control: Table 1.4-Work permit holders and dependants given leave to enter the United Kingdom, excluding EEA and Swiss nationals, 1999 to 2008( 1) 
			  Number of persons 
			   All nationalities( 2) 
			  Year of admission  Total  Employment for  12 months or more  Employment for less than 12 months( 3)  Dependants of work permit holders 
			 1999 76,180 25,090 28,445 22,645 
			 2000(4) 92,050 36,290 30,785 24,970 
			 2001(4) 108,825 50,280 30,785 27,760 
			 2002 120,115 51,525 34,095 34,495 
			 2003 119,180 44,480 36,870 37,830 
			  
			 2004 124,200 42,235 40,420 41,545 
			 2005 137,035 51,165 40,350 45,520 
			 2006 145,120 57,540 39,060 48,515 
			 2007(5) 127,765 51,600 37,575 38,590 
			 2008(6) 112,485 43,375 37,975 31,135 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five ('-' = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Nationals of EU accession countries are included or excluded according to their accession date. (3) Includes the majority of work permit trainees. (4) A change in procedures may have resulted in some under-recording for the fourth quarter of 2000 and the first quarter of 2001. (5) Revised figures. (6) Provisional figures.

Foreign Workers: Entry Clearances

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effect on domestic workers requiring a visa of the cost of visa renewal.

Phil Woolas: Domestic workers make up a small proportion of the total number of leave to remain applications. There has been no specific assessment of the effect on domestic workers requiring a visa of the cost of visa renewal.

Foreigners: Detainees

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were being held on the immigration detention estate on 1 November 2009.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency continues to build upon the success we have made with the deportation and removal of foreign national prisoners. In 2008 we deported or removed a record 5,395 foreign national prisoners. The process of deportation can be delayed in a number of ways through last minute legal barriers and the documentation process is often lengthy for some nationalities.
	As at 1 August 2009 there were approximately 1,800 foreign national offenders detained under immigration powers who had completed their sentence and were awaiting deportation. Around 500 of those were detained under immigration powers in prisons with the remaining in immigration removal centres.

Foreigners: Prisoners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were classified as mentally disordered on 1 November 2009.

Claire Ward: I have been asked to reply.
	Information is not available in the form requested. Regardless of nationality, when a prisoner is suffering from a mental disorder which requires treatment in hospital, he/she can be transferred to hospital by the Secretary of State. However, statistical information is not specifically collected on numbers of foreign national prisoners transferred to hospital.

Foreigners: Prisoners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners under the age of 18 years there were in prison on 1 November 2009.

Claire Ward: I have been asked to reply.
	Data on foreign nationals are normally published quarterly. However, due to previously announced problems with the prison IT system the most recent data available relate to June 2009.
	At the end of June 2009, there were 174 foreign national prisoners (FNPs) in England and Wales, aged under 18 years.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Gurkhas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the total annual cost of welfare benefits for  (a) Gurkha ex-servicemen settled in the UK,  (b) dependants of such servicemen who have emigrated to the UK following the recent change in his Department's policy and  (c) Gurkha servicemen who would be eligible to settle in the UK on their retirement; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 23 November 2009
	There have been no recent estimates made on the cost of welfare benefits for those former members of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their dependents who have already served in the UK or will choose to do so as a result of the discretions announced earlier this year. Nor has there been any estimate made about the total cost of welfare benefits for those Gurkhas still serving who choose to settle in the UK upon discharge.
	When the publication of the revised guidance was announced it was estimated that the likely annual cost of allowing all former Gurkhas to settle in the UK would be £1.4 billion. This figure was based on cross Government consultation.

Hate Crimes

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation designed to tackle hate-related offences.

Alan Campbell: The Government have not made any recent formal assessment of the effectiveness of this legislation. In September 2009 the Home Office published the Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan. This plan brings together a range of work being delivered across Government and criminal justice agencies to target hate crime. The development of the Action Plan, involved informal assessment of the current legislative provision against the work being delivered.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding he has allocated to the training of competent authority decision-makers for the identification of potential victims of human trafficking in each of the next three years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	 Funds have not been specifically allocated for training of competent authorities. To date this training has been treated as a business as usual cost by UKBA, supported by the UK Human Trafficking Centre and a number of voluntary sector organisations. There are no plans to change this arrangement.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of competent authority decision-makers responsible for the identification of potential victims of human trafficking are employed by the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	There are approximately 180 trained staff within UKBA who undertake this role part-time, alongside other duties. The UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) is the only other organisation that hosts competent authority decision-makers and it has three full-time competent authority posts.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place for the review of a reasonable grounds decision taken by a competent authority decision-maker in relation to a potential victim of human trafficking.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	There is no requirement under the Council of Europe Convention against trafficking to create a specific right of appeal. The reasonable grounds decision is a low threshold which is made following multi-agency consultation and engagement. There is also an opportunity for first responders to provide additional information if the competent authority is initially unable to make a positive identification. This helps to ensure that the right decisions are taken and victims are properly identified. There are also standard avenues for appealing immigration decisions, and a reasonable grounds decision can be subject to judicial review.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many competent authority decision-makers have been trained since the implementation of the National Referral Mechanism for the identification of victims of human trafficking; and how many competent authority decision-makers he expects to be trained in the next three years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	Over 180 people have been trained to act as competent authority decision makers within the national referral mechanism. There are no plans to significantly increase that number but the position will be regularly reviewed against the number of referrals made. New competent authorities will be trained if it is necessary to meet an increase in trafficking numbers.

Identity Cards: Costs

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department had spent on identity card readers on 1 October 2009.

Phil Woolas: As of 1 October 2009 the UKBA has spent £107,574 on readers for identity cards for foreign nationals.

Illegal Immigrants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effects of the clearance of the informal camp near Calais on levels of migration into the UK.

Phil Woolas: Following commitments made by both the UK and French Governments under the Evian Agreement, the area in Calais known as the jungle was cleared on 22 September 2009.
	An assessment was immediately conducted and showed that figures for clandestine arrivals into the UK, via the juxtaposed locations, had fallen following the operation. Ongoing assessments reveal the number of clandestine attempts to reach the UK from juxtaposed ports, has halved when compared to the same period last year. There were 1,170 individual attempts in October 2008, compared with 569 in October 2009(1).
	The French authorities continue to monitor the area and dismantle any further illegal camps, which has reduced the number of migrants in the vicinity.
	We continue to build on cross-border joint intelligence and enforcement work, in order to dismantle organised immigration crime groups. In addition to this we work closely with our French partners to improve port security and increase the number of returns flights.
	(1) Statistics have been sourced from locally collated management information held within locally accessed computer systems and do not represent National Statistics. They have not been the subject of National Statistics protocols and verification and should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to change.

Immigrants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in countries of origin on assistance packages for returning migrants.

Phil Woolas: The Government want people who are in the UK illegally to leave voluntarily and, in co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), it operates assisted voluntary return schemes to help them to do so.
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department has had no recent discussions with his counterparts in countries of origin on assistance packages for returning migrants.

Immigrants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of  (a) monetary incentives and  (b) other factors on return migrant flows; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government want failed asylum seekers who are in the UK illegally to leave voluntarily and, in co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), it operates the assisted voluntary return (AVR) schemes to help them to do so. This offers failed asylum seekers a means of return which is both dignified and sustainable. To test elasticity of demand, we have piloted different packages of reintegration assistance to promote AVR.
	The Assisted Voluntary Return programme offers packages of support to all returnees under the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP). This programme is subject to an annual external assessment which looks at the package of reintegration assistance on offer, and considers other factors which may affect migrants' decisions to return voluntarily.
	UK Border Agency operate a short term upstream AVR project currently operating in Libya, implemented by IOM, which aims to offer a return and reintegration package to return up to 250 irregular Ethiopian migrants from Libya to their country of origin. The project is due to complete in December 2009, after which evaluation of the project will be made. At this point, therefore, it is not possible to fully assess the effect of monetary incentives or other factors on this return migrant path way.
	The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement at this time.

Immigrants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to provide access to employment opportunities for young migrants entering the UK.

Phil Woolas: The Government's migration policy is to facilitate labour migration only where there is a clear economic need for it and it is not a function of the United Kingdom Border Agency to assist economic migrants in finding work. Tiers 2 and 5 of the Points Based System for skilled and temporary workers generally require migrants to have a job offer as a condition of admission to the UK.
	Other migrants, including EU citizens (other than Bulgarian and Romanian nationals subject to restrictions on labour market access), may have free access to the labour market and may therefore have access to assistance in finding work (for example, through the services provided by Job Centre Plus) in the same way as resident workers. They can look for work through the Jobcentre Plus website, self service job kiosks in Jobcentres and through the Jobseeker Direct telephone service.
	In line with its obligations as a member of the European Employment Service (EURES), Jobcentre Plus also provides information and advice designed to help EU migrant workers make informed choices before they leave their home country by:
	Co-operating with other member states to make all vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus accessible to people in the EU through the European Commission's European Job Mobility Portal;
	providing information about living and working conditions in the UK to migrant workers before they travel to the UK;
	using a network of EURES advisers who provide information and advice on the UK labour market and job vacancies at events organised by the EURES network in other member states.

Immigration: Torture

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that decision-makers and judges dealing with immigration cases are informed of the Istanbul protocol on the rights of torture victims and take its recommendations into account in their work; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The policy and guidance on the handling of asylum claims from alleged torture victims is currently under review and as part of this review, consideration will be given as to whether the Istanbul protocol should be taken into account by decision makers.
	Immigration judges are required to determine any matter raised as a ground of appeal, but training and guidance provided to immigration judges is a matter for the judiciary.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that drivers have recourse to an independent body in disputing a fine issued in relation to the immobilisation of a vehicle on private land.

Alan Campbell: Under proposals contained in the Crime and Security Bill, laid before Parliament on 20 November, we plan to amend the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to introduce a requirement for all vehicle immobilisation businesses to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority and to adhere to a strict code of practice, when working on private land.
	As part of our plans we are working to introduce an independent appeals process for motorists who feel they have been unfairly treated.
	More details of the Bill can be found at the following link:
	www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimeandsecuritybill

Internet

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the protection of internet users in the UK, with particular reference to  (a) trials of deep packet inspection hardware and  (b) the consent of internet users to the interception of their communications; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Deep packet inspection can be used by internet service providers for a variety of uses, including the blocking of unwanted e-mails and spam. The circumstances under which interception can be carried out with the consent of the users are set out in section 3(1)  (2) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The Home Office, together with other Government Departments, has received a number of representations relating to the use of targeted on line advertising systems.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will publish its response to the Chilcot Review into intercept evidence.

David Hanson: As highlighted in the Written Ministerial Statement in July the end of the Intercept as Evidence work programme has been reached. Recent work has focused on drawing together emerging conclusions and testing their validity. I shall be reporting back to the House on the findings and conclusions of this work very shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects a reply to be sent to the letters from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan of 21 August 2009 and 22 September 2009 to the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency regarding his constituent Mr. Beesely.

Phil Woolas: In response to the letters of 21 August and 22 September 2009, the deputy director for economic and family migration in the London and South East region wrote to the right hon. Gentleman on 23 November 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter of 11 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on his constituent Mr. Belal.

Phil Woolas: A full substantive response was sent to the right hon. Gentleman by e-mail and by post, on 24 November in reply to his letter of 11 September 2009 about his constituent Mr. Belal.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 30 September 2009 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, Ref: M22429/9.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	 A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 23 October 2009. A copy of the reply was sent on 25 November 2009.

Members: Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department's International Group regional co-ordination unit of the EC errors team will reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West's correspondence of 5 November 2009 with regard to Mr. Kamal Ramdani.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 November 2009
	 On 11 November the UK Border Agency requested the e-mail from the entry clearance officer referred to as it was missing from the enclosures sent in with the letter. Once the hon. Member can provide this then a reply will be given.

National Identity Register

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to Lord Stoddart of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, columns 26-7WA, on the national identity register, how many fingerprints  (a) per person and  (b) in total he expects to be stored on the national identity register from 2012.

Meg Hillier: 10 fingerprint images will be recorded as part of an individual's identifying information on the National Register and two fingerprint images will be held on the chip in the identity card. Currently over 5 million passports are issued each year and it is intended that, from 2012 when fingerprint biometric passports are introduced, every adult applying for a British passport will be offered a choice of being issued with a fingerprint biometric passport or identity card (or both documents) and their identity details and fingerprint biometrics will be recorded on the National Identity Register.

Passports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to modernise the passport application process; and what plans he has for the future of that process.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service has taken a series of steps in recent years to modernise the passport application process including the provision of an online electronic passport application form on the Directgov website and the introduction of additional background checks and interviews for adults applying for their first passport, together with a video interview service for first time adult applicants who live in remote communities.
	Improved photo standards have been introduced to allow for the introduction of e-passports incorporating the facial image of the applicant on a chip in the passport. This allows e-passport holders to pass through fast track automated gates at the border control at a number of airports.
	In the future it is intended to enhance the online application channel including an ability to pay online. It is also intended to introduce fingerprint biometric passports and to legislate to provide for a single application process so that anyone aged 16 and over applying for a fingerprint biometric passport will have the choice of being issued with a passport or an identity card or both.

Police: Firearms

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers carried firearms as a regular part of their duties in  (a) England and  (b) each police force area in 2007-08.

David Hanson: Figures on the number of authorised firearms officers in England and Wales in 2007-08 were published on 2 March 2009 and can be found at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/police-firearms-use-2007-2008
	Figures for 2008-09 will be published before April 2010.

Police: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attacks on police there have been in each  (a) division of Lancashire police force area and  (b) constituency in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Data on assaults are not collected centrally by division or constituency. Data for the numbers of assaults on police officers in Lancashire for 2004-05 to 2008-09 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Assaults on police officers in Lancashire, 2004-05 to 2008-09( 1,2,3,4) 
			   Assaults  (headcount) 
			 2008-09 370 
			 2007-08 395 
			 2006-07 491 
			 2005-06 503 
			 2004-05(4) 502 
			 (1) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. (2) Data are provisional. (3) Data are collected by the Home Office on behalf of HMIC. From 2005-06, assaults data were no longer published in the HMIC Annual Report. Current arrangements for the publication of these data are that they will be released as supplementary datasets to the HMIC Annual Report by Home Office Statistics. (4) Data for 2004-05 have been revised since being published in the HMIC Annual Report, when it was stated that the figures were being reviewed in the light of possible changes in recording practice. Source data were previously populated from the crime recording system, but this was changed to populate source data from the self-reported HR system.

Police: Marketing

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of leafleting households to provide information on the Policing Pledge in each of the targeted areas in the last 12 months.

David Hanson: The cost to public funds of leafleting households about the Policing Pledge and their rights and entitlements from the wider criminal justice system in targeted areas is £234,000.

Police: Pay

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average  (a) pay and  (b) pay-related cost was of employing a full-time police officer at the rank of sergeant or below in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The pay scales for a Constable and a Sergeant in England and Wales from 1 September 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Constable 22,680-35,610 
			 Sergeant 35,610-40,020 
		
	
	The average cost of employment (including salaries, National Insurance, pension costs and superannuation) of a police officer in 2008-09 was £54,300 per full-time officer. The detailed information required to calculate the pay related cost of employing a full-time police officer for each rank is not held centrally.

Policing Pledge: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department  (a) provided in the last 12 months and  (b) intends to provide in the next 12 months on promoting the Policing Pledge in respect of each medium of communication.

David Hanson: The Home Office provided £3.43 million in the financial year 2008-09 to promote the Policing Pledge, using posters-£781,000, press-£1.69 million, radio-£670,000 and online-£290,000.
	In the financial year 2009-10, the Home Office is currently spending £1.9 million to promote the Policing Pledge and the rights and entitlements the public should expect from the wider Criminal Justice System using TV to the cost of £743,000, Radio-£322,000, press-£380,000, direct mail-£234,000 and online-£220,000.
	There are no plans to pay for further promotion of the Policing Pledge this financial year.
	The Policing Pledge has helped to contribute to the raising of public confidence from 45 per cent. to 50 per cent. in the British Crime Survey.

Presenting Officers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's presenting officers were appointed  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008 and  (c) between 1 January and 31 October 2009.

Phil Woolas: The role of presenting officer is not a specific grade but a function that can be carried out by officers at Senior Executive Officer or Higher Executive Officer level depending on the specific requirements of the post.
	Without manual inspection of the individual records of the above officers, which would involve disproportionate cost, it is not possible to state how many presenting officers were appointed in the periods in question.

Stop and Search: Greater London

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stop and search actions have been carried out in the London Borough of  (a) Brent and  (b) Harrow under the powers in Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000; and how many records of such searches have been (i) checked to ensure that powers were exercised correctly, (ii) found to have been carried out outside the geographical area specified in their authorisation and (iii) found to have been conducted not in conformity with the authorisation criteria specified other than those relating to geographical area.

David Hanson: Data relating to the number of people stopped and searched under s44 Terrorism Act 2000 in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) area are available on the MPS website and can be accessed via the following link to give the latest available monthly figures:
	http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/priorities_and_how _we_are_doing/corporate/mps_stop_and_search_borough_ breakdown_reportjuly_2009.pdf
	In relation to the remaining queries, these are operational matters for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to comment on.

Terrorism Act 2000

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been stopped at the UK border under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in  (a) 2009 and  (b) each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) (as amended by the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001) enables an examining officer to stop, search and examine a person at a port or in a border area to determine whether they are someone who is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
	The use of Schedule 7 powers of examination is an important tool in countering terrorism and those who would seek to do harm to the UK and its interests.
	Only examinations for longer than one hour are required to be recorded centrally. For the period specified the number of individuals examined for in excess of one hour were:
	
		
			   Number of individuals examined in excess of one hour 
			  (a) for the period 1 January 2009-  30 September 2009 (1)1,773 
			   
			  (b) for each of the preceding five years  
			 2008 2,473 
			 2007 1,918 
			 2006 1,620 
			 2005 1,430 
			 2004 1,190 
			 (1 )As a mid-year figure this is provisional and may be subject to review due following data validation at year end. 
		
	
	The rise in the examinations between 2004 and 2008 reflects and is consummate with a period where the threat to the UK was assessed as severe.
	The powers contained in Schedule 7 are kept under scrutiny by the noble Lord Carlile of Berriew, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.

Tony Blair: Security

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure his Department has incurred on the provision of security for the right hon. Tony Blair in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: It is the long established policy of my Department not to comment on protective security arrangements and their related costs for any individuals or groups.
	The hon. Member will appreciate that disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

UK Border Agency

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which 50 parliamentary constituencies, ranked from highest to lowest, the UK Border Agency received the highest number of enquiries regarding migration cases that are  (a) legacy cases,  (b) non-legacy cases and  (c) out-of-country visa applications in each of the last four years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency has spent on promotional merchandise branded with its name and logo since its inception.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is not held centrally in the Home Office and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids were conducted by UK Border Agency officials in each region in 2008.

Phil Woolas: In 2008, the UK Border Agency carried out the following numbers of enforcement operations in each region:
	
		
			   Number of enforcement operations 
			 London and South East 6,968 
			 Midlands and East of England 2,220 
			 North East, Yorkshire and Humberside 2,015 
			 North West 1,260 
			 Scotland and Northern Ireland 948 
			 Wales and South West 1,300 
			 Total 14,711 
		
	
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff left the UK Border Agency and its predecessors on the grounds of  (a) resignation,  (b) retirement,  (c) termination of contract and  (d) redundancy in each of the last four years.

Phil Woolas: The available information for UKBA and its predecessors over the last four full fiscal years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Permanent employee leaving reasons( 1) 
			  Year( 2)  (a) Resignation  (b) Retirement( 3)  (c) Termination of contract( 4)  (d) Redundancy( 5) 
			 2008-09 161 81 284 0 
			 2007-08 628 140 156 5 or less 
			 2006-07 372 93 88 0 
			 2005-06 431 168 76 5 or less 
			 (1) Excludes agency workers. (2) Fiscal year 1 April to 31 March. (3) Includes early, flexible and medical retirements. (4) Includes dismissals. Additionally as more civil servants are now employed on fixed term contracts, the number of leavers ending as contracts conclude, has increased (this accounts for 190 leavers in 2008-09). (5) A small number of employees (five or less in each case) were made redundant in 2005-06 and 2007-08.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on the UK Border Force television programme in 2008-09; and how much it has spent on that programme since 1 April 2009.

Phil Woolas: UK Border Force is a commercial programme and production costs are therefore met by the broadcaster and the television production company.
	The only direct costs incurred by UK Border Agency were travel costs for staff facilitating filming. The costs for 2008-09 were £936 and the costs since 1 April 2009 have been £5,215.

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on internal communications in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: We are not able to quantify the costs of staff communications incurred across the UK Border Agency without disproportionate cost. The expenditure on corporate internal communications which covers a quarterly internal magazine and monthly e-bulletin and associated costs for 2008-09 was £136,357.

UK Border Agency: Departmental Records

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) of 10 November 2009,  Official Report, column 332W, on asylum, how many files are in the UK Border Agency's overall file holding.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency currently holds around 9.9 million paper files in storage-the number of files in action within the business varies considerably on a daily basis.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff moved to a different post in that agency in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The number of staff that moved to a different post within the UK Border Agency in 2008 is not available except at disproportionate cost.

Worker Registration Scheme

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were working on the administration of the Worker Registration Scheme on 1 November 2009.

Phil Woolas: On 1 November 2009 there were 81 staff working on the administration of the Worker Registration Scheme.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

National Affordable Housing Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much is planned to be spent through the National Affordable Housing Programme in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11;
	(2)  how much was spent under the National Affordable Housing Programme in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area in each of the last three years.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell's (Matthew Taylor) on 12 October 2009,  Official Report column 329W which placed information on the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme expenditure in 2008-09 in the Library of the House. I will place expenditure information for 2006-07 and 2007-08 in the House Library shortly.
	Indicative allocations for each region in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the Homes and Communities Agency's Corporate Plan which can be found on their website at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
	Allocations made to RSLs and other bodies by local authority area are published on the HCA website on a quarterly basis.

Departmental Contracts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with what companies  (a) his Department,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (d) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy have had contracts in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Communities and Local Government maintains a central record of its contracts. There are some 2,000 bodies on this record. These cover various types of organisations, including public bodies, charities, community organisations as well as companies. It is not possible to disaggregate the records to isolate only companies other than at disproportionate cost.
	 (b) The Tenant Services Authority has a central log of its contracts. These cover various types of organisations, including public bodies, community organisations, charities as well as companies. It is not possible to disaggregate the records to isolate only companies other than at disproportionate cost.
	 (c) The Homes and Communities Agency maintains a central record of its contracts. Since December 2008, when the HCA was created, there are some 3,400 bodies on this record. However, these cover a variety of organisations, including public bodies, charities, community organisations and others as well as companies. It is not possible to disaggregate the record to isolate only companies other than at disproportionate cost.
	 (d) The Homes and Communities Agency Academy has a central log of its contracts. It is not possible to disaggregate the records to isolate only companies other than at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department and its predecessors spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Barbara Follett: The criteria used in determining the award of contracts is the most economically advantageous tender. All tenders are advertised in Official Journal of European Union, the Department's e-tendering portal, or via Buying Solutions or other framework portal at no cost. A small number of tenders may have been advertised in specialist publications but this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Engagements

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Barbara Follett: In their response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Recruitment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1121-22, on departmental recruitment, who was engaged by his Department to advise on and oversee the recruitment process for the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenants Services Agency; what the terms of the contract with his Department was; and what procurement process was followed in respect of the contract.

John Healey: Veredus Consultancy was engaged to advise and oversee the recruitment process for board members of the Homes and Communities Agency and Tenant Services Authority following a competitive tendering process, carried out using the Department's guidance on procurement.
	The terms of the contract issued to Veredus were consistent with the Cabinet Office's framework agreement to provide executive search services covering senior civil service and specialist posts, and with the tender criteria as issued by the Department. The basis of the contract was to support the Department in recruiting board members for the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority. All appointments were conducted using the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidance and all appointees were considered using the same criteria.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessors have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Barbara Follett: The breakdown of information in the format requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All departmental expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what training sessions were attended by  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in his Department at public expense in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: Training is provided to Ministers and Special Advisers as part of their induction and continuing development in order to help them carry out their respective duties effectively under the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Details of training provided to Government Ministers by the National School of Government are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/MinisterialProgramme/Table.asp

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agencies have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Barbara Follett: The mechanisms covering staff who drive in the course of their employment for Communities and Local Government or one of its Executive agencies are as follows:
	 Communities and Local Government
	Where Communities and Local Government staff need to drive their own vehicle as part of their official duties they are required to demonstrate they have a valid driving licences, appropriate insurance, a current vehicle excise disc and a current test certificate. General advice on road safety is available to all staff via the Department's intranet system and line managers are required to monitor compliance with this guidance. In addition, staff who claim for mileage expenses must certify they meet the necessary requirements. The Department does not operate a fleet service.
	In addition to any appropriate notification of a road traffic accident to the police and/or their insurer, staff working for Communities and Local Government are required enter a report on the Department's accident reporting system in the event of a road traffic accident while driving on departmental business. Any formal investigation into a report of a road traffic accident would be carried out by the relevant police force.
	 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
	The QEII Conference Centre does not require any staff to drive as part of their official duties.
	 The Planning Inspectorate
	The Planning Inspectorate request copies of an individual's Driver licence, insurance certificate showing use for business purposes, V5 and MOT certificate (if required) before they are permitted to drive for the agency. All drivers have been issued with a drivers handbook which includes information and advice regarding their vehicle, the driver and the journey. The booklet also advises what to do in the event of an accident. The Planning Inspectorate are piloting on-line training, which includes a module and quiz on 'Managing Occupational Road Risk' and this will be rolled-out to all staff. Training will be at regular intervals and completion can be monitored electronically.
	 Fire Service College
	Staff working for the Fire Service College who requisition an official college vehicle are required to declare that they hold a valid driving licence; that they will take reasonable care when driving the vehicle; and that they will report any accidents that occur while driving in the course of their official duties. Such accidents will then be investigated.
	Fire Service College travel policy requires staff to officially declare that, when using a private vehicle for official duties: they hold a valid driving licence, they have appropriate insurance and are authorised to use the vehicle for business purposes. Staff are not specifically required to notify the college of any accidents that occur while driving a private vehicle in the course of their official duties.

Floods: Cumbria

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what date local authorities have to complete works necessitated by the recent floods in Cumbria; and whether under the Bellwin Scheme repair works started but not completed by that date will be eligible to claim full funding under the Scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Under the Bellwin scheme local authorities are required to complete all eligible works for which they claim Bellwin grant within two months of the incident. They have a further month from the end of this period in which to submit their claim.

Floods: Cumbria

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which budget the £1 million fund to help those affected by the recent floods in Cumbria will be drawn; what the fund will be spent on; and what the timetable for such expenditure is.

Rosie Winterton: The costs of the Community Recovery Fund following the Cumbria floods will be met from the departmental budget of Communities and Local Government. We are working with local authorities affected by the floods on how the £l million fund should be used, but as local authorities are best placed to assess their local priorities it will be up to them to decide how best the money can be spent.
	We are also in discussion with local authorities on the timing of the payment of the Fund. Our aim will be to make it available to local authorities as soon as possible.

Floods: Cumbria

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will be able to claim for capital expenditure on  (a) road and  (b) bridge repairs necessitated by the recent floods in Cumbria under the Bellwin Scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Local authorities need not apply for assistance under Bellwin because they can submit a claim under the Department for Transport's emergency capital highway maintenance scheme to support capital expenditure required to carry out repairs to roads and bridges damaged by the recent floods.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which HomeBuy agents were appointed by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to each agent in each such year.

John Healey: A network of 23 HomeBuy Agents (HBAs) were separately contractually appointed following competitive recruitment processes, by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation to provide an advice service and to screen all applicants for low cost home ownership assistance from April 2006 to March 2009. The organisations appointed were:
	
		
			  Area  HBA Name 
			  East of England  
			 Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and West Suffolk Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association 
			 Essex Moat Housing Society 
			 Hertfordshire Aldwyck Housing Association 
			 Norfolk and Suffolk Orbit Housing Group 
			  East Midlands  
			 Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire East Midlands Housing Association 
			 Lincolnshire Eastern Shires Housing Association 
			 Northamptonshire Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association 
			  London  
			 East, north and west London Metropolitan Home Ownership 
			 South east and south west London Tower Homes / London and Quadrant 
			  North East  
			 Tees Valley and County Durham Nomad Housing Group 
			 Tyne and Wear and Northumberland Nomad Housing Group 
			  North West  
			 Cheshire Riverside Housing Group 
			 Cumbria Eden Housing Association 
			 Greater Manchester Manchester Methodist Housing 
			 Lancashire Manchester Methodist Housing 
			 Merseyside Plus Housing Group 
			  South East  
			 Berkshire Catalyst 
			 Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Catalyst 
			 Hampshire Swaythling Housing Association 
			 Kent Moat Housing Society 
			 Oxfordshire Catalyst 
			 Surrey Thames Valley Housing 
			 Sussex Moat Housing Society 
			  South West  
			 Avon and Gloucestershire New Futures Partnership 
			 Devon and Cornwall West Country Housing Association 
			 Dorset Knightstone Housing Association 
			 Somerset Knightstone Housing Association 
			 Wiltshire New Futures Partnership 
			  West Midlands  
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Mercian Housing Association 
			 Hereford and Worcester West Mercia Housing Association 
			 Sandwell and Solihull Mercian Housing Association 
			 Staffordshire and Shropshire, Birmingham, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton Mercian Housing Association 
			  Yorkshire and Humberside  
			 North Yorkshire and Humberside Joseph Rowntree Foundation 
			 South Yorkshire Yorkshire Housing/My4walls 
			 West Yorkshire Yorkshire Housing/My4walls 
		
	
	Table 2 illustrates payments made to the (HomeBuy Agents) HBAs.
	
		
			  (£) 
			  HBA Name  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Totals 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association 113,100 257,400 293,996 664,496 
			 Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association 226,800 525,600 922,757 1,675,157 
			 Catalyst 389,769 813,900 513,072 1,716,741 
			 East Midlands Housing Association 35,200 95,700 259,208 390,108 
			 Eastern Shires Housing Association 14,400 13,200 140,664 168,264 
			 Eden Housing Association 0 0 47,920 47,920 
			 Knightstone Housing Association 78,300 231,000 544,185J 853,485 
			 Tower Homes/ London  Quadrant 832,299 722,700 297,825 1,852,824 
			 Manchester Methodist Housing 40,000 277,200 326,174 643,374 
			 Mercian Housing Association 119,605 439,220 617,650 1,176,475 
			 Metropolitan Home Ownership 862,350 1,284,600 2,678,050 4,825,000 
			 Moat Housing Society 750,000 960,300 1,675,387 3,385,687 
			 New Futures Partnership 23,783 628,514 580,226 1,232,523 
			 Nomad Housing Group 10,000 155,700 136,500 302,200 
			 Orbit Housing Group 117,313 339,900 253,833 711,046 
			 Plus Housing Group 32,500 118,100 164,790 315,390 
			 Riverside Housing Group 20,000 52,200 105,606 177,806 
			 Swaythling Housing Association 333,224 931,607 657,314 1,922,145 
			 Thames Valley Housing 207,732 811,800 185,200 1,204,732 
			 Joseph Rowntree Foundation 78,750 176,250 85,452 340,452 
			 West Country Housing Association 35,000 198,000 98,790 331,790 
			 West Mercia Housing Association 27,900 207,900 318,176 553,976 
			 Yorkshire Housing/My4 Walls 36,862 293,888 462,656 793,406 
			  4,384,887 9,534,679 11,365,431 25,284,997

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what sums the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor charged to their public sector bodies in each of the last three years.

John Healey: For the last two years this figure can be can found in the HCA's annual report and financial statements, a copy of which was recently laid before the House. For the year ending 31 March 2007, derived from the financial statements of the HCA's predecessor bodies, the figure was £134,000.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with which  (a) central Government bodies,  (b) local authorities and  (c) public corporations the Homes and Communities Agency held balances in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Overall intra-government balances as at 31 March 2009, and the comparative information as at 31 March 2008, are disclosed in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) annual report and financial statements 2008-09. The entities with which the HCA held balances in the last two financial years are listed as follows. The HCA was set up on 1 December 2008 and under merger accounting principals was required to prepare full year accounts for 2008-09 and comparison accounts for 2007-08 but not for previous financial years.
	 (i) Creditors
	 (a) Central Government bodies
	 31 March 2009
	Audit Commission
	HM Revenue and Customs
	London Development Agency
	South East England Development Agency
	Transport for London
	 31 March 2008
	East of England Development Agency
	HM Revenue and Customs
	West Northamptonshire Development Corporation
	 (b) Local authorities
	 31 March 2009
	Ashford Borough Council
	Aylesbury Vale District Council
	Bedford Borough Council
	Basildon District Council
	Cambridgeshire County Council
	Castle Point Borough Council
	Cumbria County Council
	Essex County Council
	Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
	Gravesham Borough Council
	Harlow District Council
	Hertfordshire County Council
	Hull City Council
	Kent County Council
	Lancashire County Council
	Leeds City Council
	Liverpool City Council
	London Borough of Bexley
	London Borough of Greenwich
	London Borough of Haringey
	London Borough of Havering
	London Borough of Newham
	Luton Borough Council
	Manchester City Council
	Medway Council
	Milton Keynes County Council
	Northamptonshire County Council
	Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
	Peterborough City Council
	Sandwell Borough Council
	Sheffield County Council
	Southend on Sea Borough Council
	South Oxfordshire District Council
	Stoke on Trent County Council
	Swale Borough Council
	Wolverhampton City Council
	 31 March 2008
	Basildon District Council
	Birmingham City Council
	Blackpool Borough Council
	Bracknell Forest Borough Council
	Canterbury City Council
	Chorley Borough Council
	Dartford Borough Council
	East Lancashire County Council
	East Riding of Yorkshire Council
	Essex County Council
	Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
	Gravesham Borough Council
	Hertfordshire County Council
	Hull City Council
	Kent County Council
	London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
	London Borough of Bexley
	London Borough of Camden
	London Borough of Greenwich
	London Borough of Lewisham
	London Borough of Newham
	London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
	Manchester City Council
	Medway Council
	Merseyside County Council
	Milton Keynes Council
	Newcastle City Council
	Northampton Borough Council
	North Staffordshire, part of Staffordshire Council
	Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
	Peterborough City Council
	Plymouth City Council
	Rochdale Borough Council
	Salford Borough Council
	Sandwell Borough Council
	South Yorkshire County Council
	Southampton City Council
	Southend on Sea Borough Council
	Stockton Borough Council
	Swale Borough Council
	Tees Valley encompassing: Darlington Borough Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
	Thurrock Council
	Warrington Borough Council
	West Cumbria
	West Lancashire District Council
	West Sussex County Council
	West Yorkshire
	York City Council
	 (c) Public corporations
	 31 March 2009
	None
	 31 March 2008
	CREATE MKSM
	 (ii) Debtors
	 (a) Central Government bodies
	 31 March 2009
	Aylesbury Vale Advantage
	British Waterways
	National Health Service
	Olympic Delivery Authority
	ONE Northeast
	Yorkshire Forward
	 31 March 2008
	Arts Council England
	Aylesbury Vale Advantage
	British Waterways
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	North West Development Agency
	One North East
	Port of London Authority
	Communities and Local Government Department
	Yorkshire Forward
	 (b) Local authorities
	 31 March 2009
	Blackpool Council
	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
	Bracknell Forest Borough Council
	Canterbury City Council
	Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council
	Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council
	Kerrier District Council
	Lancashire County Council
	Liverpool City Council
	London Borough of Greenwich
	Macclesfield Borough Council
	Northampton Borough Council
	Penwith District Council
	Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
	Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
	Vale Royal Borough Council
	Warrington Metropolitan Borough Council
	West Sussex County Council
	Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
	 31 March 2008
	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
	Corby Borough Council
	Cornwall CPD
	Essex County Council
	Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council
	Kent County Council
	Milton Keynes Council
	North Tyneside Council
	Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
	Slough Borough Council
	Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
	Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
	 (c) Public corporations
	 31 March 2009
	None
	 31 March 2008
	Land Restoration Trust

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which sites the Homes and Communities Agency has purchased from public sector bodies for development; from which organisations such sites were purchased; and how many such sites have subsequently been sold;
	(2)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency paid for each piece of surplus public sector land it purchased in each of the last five years; and for how much each site was subsequently sold.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency has purchased two sites since its inception on 1 December 2008. Elmcroft and St. Giles nursing home was purchased from West Sussex county council for £1.5 million, and Bullpoint, a former naval ordnance depot in Plymouth, was purchased from Defence Estates for £1.4 million. Elmcroft and St. Giles nursing home has now been sold jointly with Southlands hospital for a total of £1.775 million.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the financial exposure of the Homes and Communities Agency was in each of the last three years; and to how many single counterparties of more than  (a) £50 million and  (b) £100 million the Agency is exposed.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has only been in existence since 1 December 2008, though its financial statements 2008-09 were prepared on a merger accounting basis giving full year accounts for 2008-09 and 2007-08. The carrying values of the HCA's financial assets are the agency's maximum exposure to credit risk. The carrying values for 2008-09 and 2007-08 can be found in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) annual report and financial statements 2008-09.
	In the year ending 31 March 2009, the agency had one debtor in excess of £50 million and one further debtor in excess of £100 million.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the components are of the impairment charge referred to on page 74 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statement for 2008-09;
	(2)  what percentage of the asset writedown due to impairment of development assets referred to on pages 83 and 97 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Settlements 2008-09 relates to  (a) land and  (b) property assets;
	(3)  what percentage of the asset writedown due to impairment of development assets referred to on pages 83 and 97 of the Homes and Communities Agency's Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09 relates to assets previously held by  (a) English Partnerships,  (b) the Housing Corporation and  (c) the Academy for Sustainable Communities.

John Healey: The main component of the impairment charge for 2008-09 referred to on pages 74 and 83, and the revaluation of development assets on page 97, reported in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) annual report and accounts 2008-09, was a reduction in market value of the HCA's development asset portfolio due to the market downturn. The reductions in value were spread widely across HCA's numerous development asset holdings.
	The HCA's records for its development asset portfolio do not include a breakdown into sub-categories of land and property.
	Of HCA's predecessor organisations, only English Partnerships role and activities involved holding development assets, and the reduction in value of HCA's development assets related wholly to development assets inherited from English Partnerships. The reduction in value of its development asset portfolio reported by HCA for 2008-09 included, and was not in addition to, the reduction previously reported by EP for the first eight months of 2008-09.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been built with support from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor on  (a) brownfield and  (b) greenfield sites in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Information available on the number of Homes and Community Agency funded new homes by brownfield and greenfield sites is limited to 2008-09 and also to only some of the dwellings provided. In 2008-09, available information showed that 13,230 homes were provided on previously developed sites (brownfield), 5,240 on non-previously developed sites (greenfield) and 34,857 on sites which were not classified by type. The figures include both new build and acquisitions.
	Information on the number of affordable homes provided through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) for April to September 2009 were released by the HCA on 24 November.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities received loans from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years; and how much was provided in such loans in each such year.

John Healey: No loans have been issued to local authorities by the HCA or its predecessor bodies in the last three years.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many registered social landlords received loans from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years; and how much was provided in such loans in each such year.

John Healey: Within the last three years there was one such loan in two payments, issued by the Housing Corporation. The two loan payments were:
	
		
			  Year ended  £ 
			 31 March 2008 78,000 
			 31 March 2007 480,000

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of Homes and Communities Agency  (a) debts and  (b) liabilities in each of the next three years.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) debts and liabilities are reported in HCA's Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09, which includes a forecast for future years.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Homes and Communities Agency assets are available for sale; and what the book value of such assets was in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency's development asset portfolio, for which the book value for 2008-09 and 2007-08 is disclosed in note 26 on page 83 of the HCA's Annual Report and Financial Statement 2008-09, is available for sale and will be brought to the market in a phased and orderly manner. The equivalent figures for 2006-07 were shown on pages 85-86 and 118 in English Partnerships financial statements 2006-07.
	In addition, Note 22 of the financial statement reports on the HCA's financial assets that are available for sale-these are stated at fair value for 2008-09 and 2007-08. There is no equivalent balance at 31 March 2007 for 2006-07 because these balances arise from a change in accounting policy in order to adopt, from 1 April 2008, new financial reporting standards on financial instruments.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much grant-in-aid funding from his Department was drawn down by the Homes and Communities Agency in each of the last  (a) 24 weeks and  (b) 12 months.

John Healey: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The following table shows the amounts drawn down as grant-in-aid funding from Communities and Local Government by the HCA within each of the last 24 weeks.
	
		
			  (£) 
			  Week commencing  Drawn down within the last  24 weeks 
			 8 June 2009 33,456,069 
			 15 June 2009 59,631,000 
			 22 June 2009 49,825,859 
			 29 June 2009 315,703,266 
			 6 July 2009 27,000,000 
			 13 July 2009 49,377,638 
			 20 July 2009 34,611,720 
			 27 July 2009 104,235,702 
			 3 August 2009 52,686,812 
			 10 August 2009 47,357,327 
			 17 August 2009 52,500,000 
			 24 August 2009 76,353,917 
			 31 August 2009 66,598,644 
			 7 September 2009 44,303,603 
			 14 September 2009 56,797,638 
			 21 September 2009 43,758,049 
			 28 September 2009 132,773,863 
			 5 October 2009 8,000,000 
			 12 October 2009 32,000,000 
			 19 October 2009 93,870,772 
			 26 October 2009 132,012,676 
			 2 November 2009 87,385,343 
			 9 November 2009 26,100,000 
			 16 November 09 22,671,000 
		
	
	 (b) The following table shows the amounts drawn down monthly as grant-in-aid funding from Communities and Local Government by the HCA within each of the last 12 months.
	
		
			  (£) 
			  Monthly  Drawn down within the last  12 months 
			 December 2008 261,310,107 
			 January 2009 230,314,266 
			 February 2009 287,142,801 
			 March 2009 1,213,011,039 
			 April 2009 215,189,763 
			 May 2009 176,975,620 
			 June 2009 420,159,883 
			 July 2009 315,928,326 
			 August 2009 228,898,056 
			 September 2009 337,574,951 
			 October 2009 272,540,294 
			 November 2009 136,156,343

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was transferred from the Homes and Communities Agency to the Government Banking Service at the end of each of the last 30 days for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is part of the Government Banking Service, however it retains a commercial banking service with Barclays.
	The following transfers were made from the HCA's commercial account to the HCA's account in the Government Banking Service, within the last 30 days.
	
		
			  £000 
			 21 October 2009 500 
			 23 November 2009 1,500 
			 26 November 2009 1,800 
			 29 November 2009 1,100 
			 4 November 009 1,000 
			 6 November 2009 750 
			 13 November 2009 750 
			 17 November 2009 1,300

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Homes and Communities Agency's Single Equality Scheme.

John Healey: The HCA launched its Single Equality Scheme on 24 November 2009. A copy is available on the HCA's website at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/commitment-equality-and-diversity

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what business EP(LP) Ltd undertakes as a subsidiary of the Homes and Communities Agency; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: EP (LP) is the limited liability partner for English Cities Fund (ECF). ECF is a Limited Partnership whose purpose is to show that high quality mixed use area based regeneration schemes provide viable, attractive and worthwhile opportunities for institutional investors in the medium and long term, alongside community benefits and environmental improvements.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many bad debts the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor acquired in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value of each such debt was;
	(2)  what the net cost to the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was of each bad debt incurred against it in each of the last three years.

John Healey: In the year ended 31 March 2009 the Agency wrote-off 69 debts and wrote-back 70 debts (where monies had been received on debtors that had been previously written off). The net write-off was £265,000. The Agency also had to provide for a debt of £12.6 million after exercising its step-in rights to seize possession of development land previously disposed of.
	For the year ended 31 March 2008, English Partnerships, one of the HCA predecessor bodies, incurred 27 bad debt write-offs and wrote back 103 debts. The net write-off was £126,000. The Housing Corporation incurred a write-off of £346,000, but this had been provided for in the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2002.
	For the year ended 31 March 2007, English Partnerships incurred 83 bad debt write-offs and wrote back 210 debts. The net write-off was £56,000.
	Debts written-off include those debts that had been provided for in previous years and aged debts that had been inherited from predecessor bodies, including those inherited by English Partnerships (EP). Many of the debts written-off had very little monetary value (many are small rental balances inherited by EP from the Liverpool Housing Action Trust some years ago) and due to this, and also because it would not be appropriate to disclose individual debtors' details many of whom are private individuals, it would not be meaningful to provide a full list of anonymous balances.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the monetary value of the sums owed  (a) by and  (b) to the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was in each of the last three years; and how much of each amount is due to be paid in each of the next three years.

John Healey: The amounts owed by, and owed to, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and its predecessor bodies for the last two years, are reported in the Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09, a copy of which has been laid before the House.
	For 2006-07, the figures are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Year ended 31 March 2007  £ million 
			 Sum owed by bodies to HCA and its predecessor 251 
			 Sum owed to bodies by HCA and its predecessor 255 
		
	
	The financial statements also show the profile of debtor and creditor balances due within one year and after more than one year, where applicable.
	The debtors balance due after more than one year as at 31 March 2009 comprises funds due in specifically agreed time-related instalments as well as funds due that do not have pre-defined dates of receipt. For those funds with specifically agreed time-related instalments, the following amounts within the next two years are due as follows:
	
		
			  By 31 March  £ million 
			 2011 50 
			 2012 44

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) management agreement and  (b) financial framework in operation between his Department and the Homes and Communities Agency.

John Healey: A copy of the financial framework between the Department and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) can be found on HCA's website. There is no management agreement.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor paid in loans to water companies in each of the last three years.

John Healey: No loans were made by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) or its predecessor bodies to water companies in the last three years. Prior loans made to water companies were inherited by HCA from former development corporations and annual payments are being, and will continue to be, received by HCA up to 2053.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Homes and Communities Agency employees received  (a) performance-related payments,  (b) other taxable benefits and  (c) benefits in kind in respect of the year to March 2009; and how much was spent on such payments.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) website sets out that performance-related payments for 2008-09 performance year (running July to June) are still to be determined. However, in June 2009, the HCA paid former Housing Corporation staff the balance of a team bonus payment, which related to performance in 2008-09. This was paid to 251 staff and totalled £129,000.
	 (b) 234 employees received other taxable benefits in 2008-09 at an approximate cost of £717,000.
	 (c) 271 employees received benefits in kind at an approximate cost of £83,000.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each board member of the Homes and Communities Agency Academy has been paid since appointment.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency Academy Committee is a sub-committee of the HCA Main Board and is chaired by Professor Peter Roberts who is a member of the main HCA Board.
	Professor Roberts' fees are paid in his capacity as an HCA Board member and are published on page 42 of the HCA Annual Report and Accounts. This is available in the House Library or can be viewed online at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/annual-report-2009.htm
	Payment to other Academy Sub-Committee members are at the flat daily rate of £325.54. The following table sets out payments to Sub-Committee members since the HCA's establishment on 1 December 2008.
	
		
			  Academy sub-committee member  Gross payment 
			 D. Lamb 1,952.54 
			 R. Bennett Casserly 325.54 
			 L. Ceeney 1,464.93 
			 P. Hetherington(1) 4,479.86 
			 M. Khan 1,464.93 
			 (1) Peter Hetherington's fee also include Academy work other than directly associated with the Committee.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the net value of assets held by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor was in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The net assets of the Homes and Communities Agency are disclosed in the Group Balance Sheet of the Homes and Communities Agency Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09, a copy of which was laid in the House.
	The Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09 contains comparative data for 2007-08. For 2006-07 precise comparative data cannot be provided. The net value of assets of predecessor bodies were provided in the Annual Reports and Financial Statements for English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation. Copies of each of these reports were also laid in the House. Assets of the Academy for Sustainable Communities would have been contained within the Annual Accounts for Yorkshire Forward.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor spent on the employment of temporary staff in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Temporary staff costs for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and its predecessors for 2008-09 and 2007-08 are shown on page 75 of the HCA's published financial statements for 2008-09. The financial statements were prepared under merger accounting rules which (notwithstanding the Agency was launched part-way through the financial year on 1 December 2008) required full year accounts to be prepared for 2008-09 and for comparison accounts to be prepared for the preceding year, 2007-08, but not for years earlier than that.
	The predecessor organisations for the HCA were English Partnerships, the investment arm of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. For 2006-07, temporary staff costs for English Partnerships were shown on pages 81 and 111 of its published financial statements for 2008-09. Temporary staff costs specifically for the investment arm of the Housing Corporation for 2006-07 cannot be disaggregated except at disproportionate cost (however temporary staff costs for the Housing Corporation as a whole for 2006-07 were shown in note 5 of its financial statements for 2006-07). Temporary staff costs for the Academy for Sustainable Communities for 2006-07 were £163,000.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff were employed by the  (a) Tenant Services Authority and  (b) Homes and Communities Agency in each of the organisation's main areas of responsibility on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) published this information as part of the papers for its Board meeting on 17 November 2009. These papers are available on the TSA's website at:
	http://www.tenantservicesauthority.org/server/show/nav.14454
	(see agenda item 6).
	The number of staff employed by the Homes and Communities Agency in each of its main areas of responsibility is as follows:
	Regional Delivery: 400 (Regional Delivery Teams),
	Corporate Delivery: 248 (Delivery of Corporate Programmes-Thames Gateway, Growth, Decent Homes, etc, ATLAS, Brownfield Delivery, Academy, Asset Management, plus centrally run initiatives-PRSI, Private Finance, etc),
	Corporate: 234 (HR, IT, Finance, etc).

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Homes and Communities Agency properties there are in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area.

John Healey: A break-down of the distribution of the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) development land assets portfolio by region and by each local authority, is provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Distribution of HCA development land assets by region and local authority( 1) 
			  North West 
			   Number 
			 Cheshire and West Cheshire 1 
			 Chorley 9 
			 Halton 13 
			 Lancaster 1 
			 Liverpool 16 
			 Manchester 7 
			 Preston 37 
			 South Ribble 42 
			 St. Helens 1 
			 Tameside 4 
			 Warrington 40 
			 West Lancashire 10 
			 Wirral 5 
			 Regional total 186 
		
	
	
		
			  West Midlands 
			   Number 
			 Bromsgrove 2 
			 Dudley 1 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 3 
			 Redditch 11 
			 Shropshire 5 
			 Solihull 2 
			 South Staffordshire 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 102 
			 Wyre Forest 1 
			 Regional total 129 
		
	
	
		
			  East of England 
			   Number 
			 Basildon 149 
			 Chelmsford 1 
			 Colchester 1 
			 Dacorum 24 
			 East Hertfordshire 2 
			 Epping Forest 1 
			 Harlow 19 
			 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 1 
			 Peterborough 22 
			 South Cambridgeshire 1 
			 St. Albans 3 
			 Stevenage 4 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 21 
			 Regional total 249 
		
	
	
		
			  London 
			   Number 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Camden 1 
			 Croydon 2 
			 Greenwich 1 
			 Merton 1 
			 Newham 3 
			 Tower Hamlets 8 
			 Regional total 17 
		
	
	
		
			  East Midlands 
			   Number 
			 Corby 6 
			 Derby 1 
			 Harborough 1 
			 Leicester 1 
			 Mansfield 1 
			 Northamptonshire 40 
			 South Northamptonshire 5 
			 Regional total 55 
		
	
	
		
			  North East 
			   Number 
			 County Durham 4 
			 Gateshead 2 
			 Hartlepool 1 
			 Middlesborough 9 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 2 
			 North Tyneside 2 
			 Northampton 1 
			 Northumberland 5 
			 Stockton on Tees 5 
			 Sunderland 3 
			 Regional total 34 
		
	
	
		
			  South West 
			   Number 
			 Bristol 4 
			 Cornwall 7 
			 East Dorset 1 
			 North Somerset 1 
			 Plymouth 10 
			 Stroud 1 
			 Swindon 2 
			 Regional total 26 
		
	
	
		
			  Yorkshire and Humber 
			   Number 
			 Leeds 3 
			 North East Derbyshire 1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1 
			 Sheffield 2 
			 Wakefield 1 
			 Regional total 8 
		
	
	
		
			  South East 
			   Number 
			 Aylesbury Vale 5 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 1 
			 Bracknell Forest 14 
			 Canterbury 1 
			 Chichester 1 
			 Crawley 57 
			 Dartford 2 
			 Dover 1 
			 East Hampshire 1 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1 
			 Horsham 3 
			 Isle of Wight 1 
			 Mid Sussex 1 
			 Milton Keynes 200 
			 New Forest 2 
			 Reigate and Banstead 1 
			 Slough 1 
			 South Oxfordshire 1 
			 Waverley 1 
			 Winchester 1 
			 Regional total 296 
			 (1) The HCA also holds a further inherited 102 community related amenity sites which have no development value.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the Homes and Communities Agency has made of the  (a) costs and  (b) benefits to it related to changes in taxation levels during 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency HCA considers the potential impact of any relevant taxation change to assess its potential tax liability.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor paid in social housing grants in relation to  (a) low cost home ownership,  (b) social rent and  (c) works to registered social landlords' housing stock in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The following table shows the amount of social housing grant paid by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Housing Corporation between 2006-07 and 2008-09 (three years) on Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO), Social Rent and works to registered social landlords' stock:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   LCHO  Social Rent  Other( 1)  Total 
			 2006-07 443 1,433 47 1,923 
			 2007-08 427 1,552 50 2,029 
			 2008-09 551 2,029 45 2,625 
			  1 'Other' includes works to RSL stock.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many projects the Homes and Communities Agency has supported through community infrastructure funding.

John Healey: The Community Infrastructure Fund provides funding for transport infrastructure projects in the Thames Gateway, other growth areas and growth points. It is a dual-key fund with decisions taken jointly by Ministers in Communities and Local Government and the Department for Transport, with the Homes and Communities Agency responsible for the day to day management of the fund. The second round of the Community Infrastructure Fund has allocated £300 million to 54 projects.
	13 projects were announced at the Thames Gateway Forum on 28 November 2007, subject to their meeting deliverability and value for money requirements. 29 projects were announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) and the hon. Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark) on 27 March 2009,  Official Report, column 30WS, and a further 12 by myself and my right hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) on 4 August 2009. These schemes are listed below.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Project name  Growth area/growth point  Region  Allocation 
			  28 November 2007
			 A127 Basildon Thames Gateway East 14.8 
			 A127 Progress Road, Southend Thames Gateway East 4.7 
			 A127/A13 Victoria Station and Plaza Junction, Southend Thames Gateway East 7.6 
			 South West Canvey Thames Gateway East 12 
			 Medway Bus Corridor Thames Gateway South East 13 
			 A228 Ropers Lane to Grain Thames Gateway South East 10.5 
			 Gillingham Railway Thames Gateway South East 1.5 
			 Dartford Station Thames Gateway South East Tbc 
			 Northfleet Station Thames Gateway South East Tbc 
			 East London Transit Phase 1b Thames Gateway London 18.5 
			 Rainham Bus/Rail Interchange Thames Gateway London 1.2 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels Thames Gateway London 11.5 
			 Canning Town Thames Gateway London 18 
			 
			  27 March 2009
			 Cambridge Gateway Cambridgeshire East 3 
			 Postwick Hub, Norwich Greater Norwich Development East 3artnership  21 
			 Ipswich central area transport improvements Haven Gateway East 3.45 
			 New A12 Junction, Colchester Haven Gateway East 11.2 
			 King's Lynn South Transport Major King's Lynn East 5.3 
			 First Avenue, Multi-modal Corridor, Phase II, Harlow London-Harlow-Stansted East 3.58 
			 A414 dualling, Harlow London-Harlow-Stansted East 9.9 
			 Luton Parkway Station Luton and South Bedfordshire East 1 
			 Waterside Sanvey Gate Junction Improvement, Leicester Three Cities and Three Counties East Midlands 1.85 
			 Birstall Park and Ride, Leicester Three Cities and Three Counties East Midlands 2.75 
			 A14 Kettering-Ramp Metering North Northamptonshire East Midlands 1.3 
			 Northampton Modal-Shift Measures West Northamptonshire East Midlands 6.87 
			 Northampton to Wellingborough Bus Rapid Transit North Northamptonshire East Midlands 5.3 
			 Tottenham Hale Gyratory Haringey London 4 
			 Victoria Way, Ashford Ashford South East 16.5 
			 Urban Traffic Management and Control System, Aylesbury Aylesbury Vale South East 4.55 
			 Milton Keynes Busway Milton Keynes South East 5.6 
			 South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Partnership for Urban South Hampshire South East 20 
			 Reading Station Interchange Reading South East 4.37 
			 Junction 30 Improvement on M5, Exeter Exeter and East Devon South West 1.5 
			 M5 Segregated Crossing, Exeter Exeter and East Devon South West 5.5 
			 Plymouth East End Community Transport Improvements Plymouth South West 9.78 
			 Wichelstowe Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge, Swindon Swindon South West 2.09 
			 Cole Hall Lane Bridge, Birmingham Birmingham and Solihull West Midlands 2.11 
			 Icknield Port Loop, Birmingham Birmingham and Solihull West Midlands 2.87 
			 Paragon Park, Coventry Coventry West Midlands 2.16 
			 Sustainable Transport, Burton on Trent East Staffordshire West Midlands 3.3 
			 A38 Grade Separated Junction at Branston, Burton on Trent East Staffordshire West Midlands 6.5 
			 West of Worcester Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Worcester West Midlands 3.2 
			 
			  4 August 2009
			 Gainsborough Transport Infrastructure Gainsborough East Midlands 1.85 
			 Tees Valley A19 (T)/A66 (T) Network Management Strategy Tees Valley North East 3.975 
			 Newcastle Quaylink (Q2) Link Road Newcastle and Gateshead North East 0.93 
			 A19/Peterlee Centre South and East Durham North East 1.756 
			 Chapelford and Bruche-Pedestrian and Cycle Accessibility Mid Mersey North West 1.76 
			 Chorley Buckshaw Parkway Central Lancashire and Blackpool North West 3.3 
			 North Manchester Metrolink Stations Greater Manchester North West 4 
			 Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Shoreham South Coast South East 5 
			 Chiverton Cross Junction Improvements Kerrier and Restormel South West 3.85 
			 Teignbridge-Newton Abbot Infrastructure Package Teignbridge South West 2.4 
			 Dearne Valley Improvement Package Doncaster and South Yorkshire/Leeds City Region Yorkshire and the Humber 2.34 
			 Pedestrian Route-Beechnut Lane to Stuart Road Pontefract Leeds City Region Yorkshire and the Humber 1.18

Housing Market

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what forecasts of housing market trends  (a) his Department,  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (c) the Tenant Services Authority have commissioned.

Ian Austin: CLG does not commission forecasts of housing market trends relating to house prices, housing transactions, and new housing supply. It has however commissioned the construction of models for various aspects of the housing market including these. An example of this in recent years is the housing affordability model. Some information about it can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/nhpau/keypublications/research/affordabilitymodelguide/
	The HCA have commissioned material from Oxford Economics, which includes their forecasts relating to the wider economy and the housing market, available via subscription.
	The TSA have not commissioned any research into housing market trends. Where necessary they currently use publicly available information.
	Surveys, sometimes commissioned, are an additional tool used by the Department and the agencies to garner information about the housing market, which can include what people think will happen going forward. An example is the Survey of English Housing, available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/sehprelimresults0708

Housing: Bristol

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the average cost per unit of building a home on the Hanham Hall site in Bristol;
	(2)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on the Hanham Hall development  (a) in total and  (b) per unit.

John Healey: Total spend to date by the Homes and Communities Agency at Hanham Hall is £4,697,232.
	We are unable to provide estimates of the average cost per unit as this is commercially confidential information. The lead developer has not yet gone out to tender on the build contract and therefore revealing this information would prejudice the tender process.

Housing: Carbon Monoxide

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to require carbon monoxide monitors to be fitted in vehicle garages which are connected to domestic properties.

Ian Austin: The current consultation to revise part J (combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) of the building regulations includes proposals to require carbon monoxide alarms where solid fuel appliances are installed in homes. There are no current proposals to require carbon monoxide monitors to be fitted in vehicle garages which are connected to domestic properties.
	In support of the current part J consultation the Department has published the report: Study on the Provision of Carbon Monoxide Detectors under The Building Regulations: BD2754. This can be viewed via the link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/studycarbonmonoxidedetectors

Housing: Elderly

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to take steps in response to the recent findings of the Office of Fair Trading on the contracts signed by occupants of purpose-built owner-occupied retirement homes.

Ian Austin: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) are investigating the terms found within leases for occupants of purpose built owner occupied retirement homes, and has written to 26 retirement companies who operate in this sector setting out its concerns over terms providing for exit fees to be charged when residents sell, rent or otherwise transfer their properties. Following this, the OFT has now proposed a draft set of standard undertakings to be given by these companies which will mean that such terms will not be used in future leasehold agreements or enforced in existing leasehold agreements used in this sector. Comments on these proposals are also being sought from other interested parties.

Housing: Offices

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the monetary value of  (a) buildings and  (b) leases owned by (i) the Tenant Services Authority and (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency and their predecessors and used as offices was in each of the last three years.

John Healey: For the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and its predecessor organisations (English Partnerships, the investment arm of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities):
	The value for buildings owned by the Agency for 2008-09 and 2007-08 are reported in note 20 on pages 78-79, of HCA's published financial statements 2008-09. See further below for 2006-07.
	Annual commitments against operating leases for land and buildings for 2008-09 and 2007-8 are reported in note 40 on page 98, of the HCA's published financial statements 2008-09. See further below for 2006-07.
	For the Tenants Services Authority (TSA) and its predecessor organisation (the regulation arm of the Housing Corporation):
	The TSA did not own any buildings in 2008-09 and 2007-08; see below for 2006-07.
	Annual commitments against operating leases for offices for 2008-09 and 2007-08 are reported in note 23 on page 102 of the TSA's financial statements for 2008-09. See further below for 2006-07.
	For 2006-07, for English Partnerships (EP):
	The value of buildings owned by EP were reported on in note 13 on page 84 and note 10 on page 114, of EP's published financial statements for 2006-07.
	Annual commitments against operating leases for land and buildings for 2006-07 are reported in note 27 on page 93 and note 21 on page 123, of EP's published financial statements for 2006-07.
	For 2006-07, for the Housing Corporation (its investment arm being the predecessor for the HCA and its regulation arm being the predecessor the TSA):
	There were no buildings owned by the Housing Corporation.
	Annual commitments against operating leases for offices for 2006-07 were shown in note 26 of the Corporations financial statements for 2006-07.
	For 2006-07, for the Academy for Sustainable Communities:
	The Academy did not own any buildings.
	The charge for rent on offices was £107,000.

Housing: Prices

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his Answer of 23 November 2009,  Official Report, column 13W, on housing: prices, what the average sale price of a new three-bedroom property in Yate, South Gloucestershire was in April 1991; and on what evidence he bases such an estimate.

Barbara Follett: The VOA does not compile average sales prices for any type of property, in any locality, for council tax purposes.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its predecessors have paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Kickstart Programme

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what applications he has received for funding under his Department's Kickstart programme; what funding has been made available; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: 136 housing schemes have to date been announced as approved for investment under the Kickstart programme. Details of approved schemes and level of funding are posted on the Homes and Communities Agency's website, at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/kickstart_housing.htm

Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants have been made to projects in  (a) Thanet,  (b) Dover and  (c) Canterbury under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme in each year since its inception.

Barbara Follett: Local Authority Business Growth Incentive (LABGI) grants have been awarded to Thanet district council, Dover district council and Canterbury city council as set out in the following table. LABGI grants are not awarded to specific projects and decisions about how to spend them are a matter for individual local authorities.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Thanet  Dover  Canterbury 
			 2005-06 547,930 0 532,648 
			 2006-07 0 0 0 
			 2007-08 2,458,327 0 2,378,982 
			 2008-09 314,325 0 298,898 
			 2009-10 55,815 46,095 63,936

Local Government Services: Leisure

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities applied for funding from his Department to assist with funding for leisure facilities in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: We are not aware of any local authorities that have applied for funding from this Department to assist them with funding for leisure facilities over the last five years.

Local Government: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average employer contribution to the local government pension scheme was in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The average employer contribution per member to the local government pension scheme in England in 2008-09 was £3,200.
	This information is available in the statistics release Local Government Pension Scheme Funds England 2008-09 that is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/pensionscheme/

Mortgages: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in  (a) Peterborough constituency,  (b) Peterborough City Council area and  (c) Cambridgeshire have taken up the Homeowners Mortgage Protection Scheme.

John Healey: Homeowners Mortgage Support is part of the range of assistance available at every stage to households struggling with their mortgage. The scheme encourages lenders to allow households who have suffered a temporary income shock to defer some of their interest payment, if this is necessary to make their monthly payment affordable. The Department plans to publish information in December on the number of households who have been helped through Homeowners Mortgage Support. Statistics from the Financial Services Authority show that more than 135,000 borrowers were benefiting from forbearance offered by their lender at the end of June 2009, an increase of 17 per cent. on the previous quarter.

Neighbourhood Wardens

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many neighbourhood wardens were funded by his Department in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: CLG no longer directly funds warden schemes, and therefore no data is collected centrally on the number of schemes in operation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the effect of levels of empty property rates on the number of buildings that have been demolished in the latest period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: No estimate has been made.
	Our reforms to empty property relief are principled and right for the long-term. However, we have listened to owners. In 2009-10 all empty properties with rateable values up to £15,000 are eligible for full relief from business rates-70 per cent. of all properties are under this threshold and, if empty, are not liable for rates in 2009-10. This temporary measure is providing real help to owners to manage short-term pressures in a difficult property market.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of empty property rates on the number of business closures in the latest period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: No estimate has been made.
	Our reforms to empty property relief are principled and right for the long-term. However, we have listened to owners. In 2009-10 all empty properties with rateable values up to £15,000 are eligible for full relief from business rates-70 per cent. of all properties are under this threshold and, if empty, are not liable for rates in 2009-10. This temporary measure is providing real help to owners to manage short-term pressures in a difficult property market.

Planning Permission: Appeals

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2009,  Official Report, column 14W, on planning permission: appeals, what criteria are used to decide whether an application for a residential development of over 150 units would be considered to have an impact significant enough to instigate a recovery of a planning appeal by the Secretary of State.

Ian Austin: The relevant criterion is
	any proposal for residential development of over 150 units or on sites of over five hectares, which would significantly impact on the Government's objective to secure a better balance between housing demand and supply and create high quality, sustainable, mixed and inclusive communities.
	Appeals are considered under this criterion and no additional criteria are used.

Royal Mail: Databases

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much local authorities spent on use of the Royal Mail postcode database and related services in the latest period for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	Such information is not collected by Government.
	Royal Mail owns and manages the Postcode Address File (PAF) and provision exists for the company to recover a reasonable charge for the supply of the data. Access is regulated under a licence condition which ensures that the data is made available to all persons or organisations on reasonable terms.

Travelling People: Grants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Gypsy and Traveller site grants were made in each of the last three years; and what the average amount of such a grant was in each of those years.  [Official Report, 7 April 2010, Vol. 508, c. 11MC.]

Barbara Follett: Grant for refurbishing existing and building new Gypsy and Traveller sites since 2006-07 has been paid through the Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant.
	In rounds one and two of year 2006-07 56 grants were paid at a total cost of £14,265,752 making the average grant £254,745. For rounds one and two of year 2007-08 74 grants were paid at a total cost of £13,436,131 making an average of £181,569 per grant and in 2008-09 56 grants were paid at a total cost of £11,965,079 with the average grant being £213,662.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialisms must be available on site before a hospital accident and emergency department can be designated as such.

Mike O'Brien: Provision of services within a hospital accident and emergency (AE) department is a matter for local decision-making by primary care trusts. However, for the purposes of performance data collection, the Department uses the following definitions:
	Type 1 AE department: A consultant led 24 hour service with full resuscitation facilities and designated accommodation for the reception of accident and emergency patients;
	Type 2 AE department: A consultant led single specialty accident and emergency service (e.g. ophthalmology, dental) with designated accommodation for the reception of patients; and
	Type 3 AE department: Other type of AE/minor injury units/Walk-in Centres with designated accommodation for the reception of accident and emergency patients. A type 3 department may be doctor led or nurse led.

Accident and Emergency Departments: South East

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts in the South East have plans to reduce numbers of emergency attendances at accident and emergency departments by March 2010; and what targets those plans include for the reduction of such attendances.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for the local national health service to plan and develop health services to meet the needs of the local population.
	However, the Department would expect primary care trusts to ensure that patients can access safe and quick urgent and emergency care services in the most appropriate setting.

Ambulance Services

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to NHS ambulance trusts on the development of protocols for mutual assistance to cover areas at the border between trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has not issued guidance specifically on the development of protocols for mutual assistance to cover areas at the border between trusts. Providing appropriate resources to meet local demand is a matter for the local ambulance trusts, and each trust should plan to provide appropriate cover in line with national response time requirements.
	Guidance on the reporting of cross-border calls has, however, been published and is contained within the KA34 statistical bulletin for ambulance services. A copy of the KA34 bulletin is available at the following link:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2008-09

Attendance Allowance

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for changes to the attendance allowance to take into account the proposals of his Department's Green Paper on Shaping the Future of Care Together; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: We think there may be a case for bringing some disability benefits and the adult social care system together into a single system, as a better way of providing support to all older and disabled people.
	We will only make any changes to disability benefits if we are certain that by doing so we can better support disabled people.
	We know that disability benefits are popular because they provide a universal entitlement which does not depend on where a person lives, they provide a cash budget which can be spent on the services people want, and they are often used to support lower-level needs that help people stay well for longer. These three aspects will all be important components of the new care and support system.
	Whatever the outcome of these reforms, we want to ensure that people receiving any of the relevant benefits at the time of reform will continue to receive an equivalent level of support and protection, under a new and better care and support system.
	We have ruled out bringing disability living allowance for those under the age of 65 into the National Care Service.

Blood: Cancer

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which cancer networks  (a) have met and  (b) are on target to meet the milestones set out in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on improving outcomes in haemato-oncology cancer, published in October 2003.

Ann Keen: The majority of the key recommendations made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in its 'Improving Outcomes in Haematological Cancers' guidance have been implemented by all cancer networks. Some networks have successfully implemented all the key recommendations. These are: East Midlands; Kent; Greater Manchester and Cheshire; North Trent; Yorkshire; Humber and Yorkshire Coast; North East England; and South East London.
	However, we recognise that the other cancer networks have experienced difficulties in setting up specialist haemato-pathology services. The National Cancer Action Team is working closely with the Royal College of Pathologists to help networks develop plans and to support them in the establishment of these services. We hope that the guidance will be fully implemented across the country by December 2010.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions took place in England where a diagnosis of both breast cancer and  (a) neutropenic sepsis,  (b) febrile neutropenia,  (c) diarrhoea,  (d) nausea or intractable vomiting,  (e) anaemia and  (f) pain was recorded in the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by (A) primary care trust area of responsibility and (B) cancer network area of responsibility, as recorded in the Hospital Episodes Statistics database in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Statistics showing the number of admissions where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of breast cancer and; diarrhoea; nausea or intractable vomiting; anaemia; and pain have been placed in the Library. Data for neutropenic sepsis and febrile neutropenia are not available as there are no specific codes for these diagnoses in the international classification of diseases 10(th) revision, which is used within hospital episode statistics.
	The information has been provided for England and for strategic health authorities (SHAs), from 2004-05 to 2008-09. On 1 July 2006 the number of SHAs reduced from 28 to 10. Information is not held on a cancer network basis. Information has not been provided for primary care trusts as the figures included small cell counts, which would have created a risk to patient confidentiality.

Caffeine: Young People

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the possible effects on the behaviour of children and young people of high caffeine intake.

Ann Keen: The Food Standards Agency advises that children and other persons sensitive to caffeine should consume products with significant amounts of caffeine (such as coffee and energy drinks) in moderation.
	The Food Standards Agency advise us that they have no current plans to investigate the possible behavioural effects of caffeine in children, in part due to the ethical concerns around this type of research in children.

Cancer: Clinical Trials

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the level of access to clinical trials for patients with  (a) lung and  (b) other types of cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN) was set up by the Department in 2001 and has dramatically increased our ability to do clinical trials, including trials relating to lung cancer. Some 12 per cent. of cancer patients in England currently enter NCRN clinical trials every year. This is the highest national per capita rate of cancer trial participation in the world.
	The Department, in partnership with Cancer Research UK, also funds 15 experimental cancer medicine centres across England focusing on early phase cancer trials. These centres investigate whether and how the latest discoveries and cancer treatments work when tested with patients so they can be developed for use in the national health service as quickly as possible.

Care Standards Act 2000

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions under the Care Standards Act 2000 have not resulted in a conviction since 2004.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that, since 2004, CQC and its predecessor bodies, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, has completed 40 prosecutions under the Care Standards Act 2000. 38 of these prosecutions resulted in a conviction. In the remaining two cases, a conditional discharge was issued.
	CQC, as did its predecessors, also has the option to issue cautions as an alternative to prosecution, where this is considered the most appropriate course of action. A number of cautions have been issued over the same period.
	It should be noted that these figures relate to prosecutions of adult social care and health care providers regulated by CQC and its predecessors. They also include prosecutions of children's social care providers up until 2007, which were regulated by CSCI until then. They do not include prosecutions which may have been brought by other bodies. This information is not held by the Department.

Contraception

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and at what net ingredient cost prescription items for  (a) contraception and  (b) emergency contraception were dispensed in the community in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust area in (A) absolute terns and (b) as a rate per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years old.

Mike O'Brien: This information has been placed in the Library.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust: Finance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust to achieve the target funding identified for it under the new NHS funding formula.

Mike O'Brien: We are committed to moving all primary care trusts (PCTs) towards their target allocations as quickly as possible. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, we have ensured that the most under-target PCTs benefit from the highest increases in funding. Over those two years, the allocation to Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT will grow by £94.2 million or 12.1 per cent., compared with the national average of 11.3 per cent.
	No decisions have yet been taken on the future rate of progress towards target allocations. The rate at which PCTs will move towards their target allocation in future years will need to be considered in light of a number of factors including population changes, cost pressures and the overall resources available to the national health service.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assets of his Department are planned to be sold in each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Government have stated their intention to realise £16 billion in asset disposals over the period 2011-14 and will publish further details of opportunities to commercialise business assets in the coming weeks.
	Consideration is being given to further commercialising certain arm's length bodies and special health authorities that already operate on a trading basis. As yet, no decisions have been made regarding their sale.
	The following list of major property assets in the ownership of the Secretary of State for Health are planned to be sold during 2009-10 and are aggregated for the period 2010 to 2014 as sales dates cannot be confirmed.
	The sale price is given where a property has been sold. Where a property remains to be sold, the anticipated receipt is commercially confidential and therefore has not been provided.
	
		
			  2009-10 
			  Property  Description  Sale price (£000)  Asset  v alue (£000) 
			 332 High Road, Tottenham Offices 425 195 
			 Land at Napsbury, St Albans Open land 255 255 
			 Blackbrook House, Fareham Maternity home 750 750 
			 Land at Woodside, Plymouth Car park 190 132 
			 Lakeview Close, Walsall Health buildings 1,000 1,000 
			 10 Palmer Crescent, Ottershaw Residential 160 263 
			 White Hart, Harrogate Conference facility 2,240 2,240 
			 22-38 Princes Road, Redhill Residential - 700 
			 Eagle Cottages, Jarrow Residential - 354 
			 96 Harrowdene Road, Wembley Residential - To be determined 
			 90 Capel Gardens, Pinner Residential - To be determined 
			 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth Retail - 268 
			 Northern View, Bradford Open lane - 2,750 
			 63-65 Bardsley Drive, Farnham Residential - 379 
			 Land at Wellington Hospital, Telford Open land - 100 
			 St Georges Road, Bolton NHS Business Service authority property - 550 
			 Old Elvet, Green Lane, Durham NHS Business Service authority property - 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			  2010-11 to 2013-14 
			  Property  Description  Sale Price £(000)  Asset  v alue £(000) 
			 Land at Princes Road, Redhill Car park - 500 
			 50 Scattergate Green, Appleby Residential - 79 
			 Ropewalk, St Neots Residential - 256 
			 15 Ambleside Avenue, SW16 Residential - 536 
			 Land at former Brookwood Hospital, Woking Open land - To be determined 
			 Farm Lane House, Plymouth Residential - 275 
			 Halcyon, Plymouth Residential - 309 
			 Oaklands, Plymouth Residential - 275 
			 Land at Victoria Hospital, Worksop Open land - 470 
			 Primrose Lane, Huntingdon Health buildings - 812 
			 Land at Michigan Way, Totton Open land - 550 
			 Land at Bucknell, Stafford Open land - 131 
			 Warwick Cottage, Melton Mowbray Residential - 115 
			 Fox Hollow, Dudley Residential - 80 
			 14 Eachway Lane, Rednall Residential - 100 
			 Land at Joyce Green, Dartford Open land - To be determined 
			 Land at Harwich Hospital, Harwich Open land - 823 
			 St Michael's Hospice, Basingstoke Hospice - 2,699 
			 Harps Close Meadow, Sudbury Open land - 377 
			 Part Little Plumstead Hospital , Norwich Hospital - 2,600 
			 Part Harperbury Hospital, Radlett Hospital - To be determined 
			 St. James' Court, Balham Residential - 2,213 
			 Land at Storthes Hall, Huddersfield Open land - 59 
			 Heathway, Seaham Residential - 78 
			 St Martin's College, Lancaster Training - 1,835 
			 Melbourne House, Derby Training - 519 
			 Land at Alexandra Hospital Redditch, Open land - 1,000 
			 Part Lea Castle Hospital, Kidderminster Health buildings - 890 
			 Land at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Shrewsbury Open land - To be determined 
			 The Dental Practice Board site, Eastbourne NHS Business Service Authority property - 1,000

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent per capita in  (a) England and  (b) Buckinghamshire in each of the last three years.  [Official Report, 3 February 2010, Vol. 505, c. 3MC.]

Mike O'Brien: The amount spent per capita in total in England by all primary care trusts (PCTs) and by Buckinghamshire PCT, in each of the last three years, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Buckinghamshire PT  England 
			 2008-09 1,251 1,499 
			 2007-08 1,198 1,428 
			 2006-07 1,119 1,310

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Phil Hope: The Department's centrally held records show that at 1 April 2009, 0.3 per cent. of civil servants in the Department were in job share arrangements. 9 per cent. were working part time and 0.2 per cent. were working in term time only.
	Managers also have the discretion to agree flexible working arrangements locally, without making contractual changes. These local arrangements are not recorded centrally so the actual number of staff working flexibly is not available, but is likely to be a large proportion of the work force.
	Arrangements to work from home are made by local managers. These arrangements vary from occasional instances to regular home working. Records are not kept centrally about this.
	The Department recognises that flexible working allows its staff to combine employment and a career with other responsibilities as well as meeting personal needs. The Department encourages staff to work flexibly through providing opportunities such as part-time working, job sharing, term time only working and the use of flexitime. It also provides the technology to allow staff to work at home on occasions and has in place specific arrangements to allow parents, adopters, guardians and foster carers of children under 16 (or disabled children under 18) to apply to work flexibly.
	Most departmental staff participate in the flexitime work arrangement. The Department also encourages other flexible arrangements such as spreading working hours over nine days within a fortnight or four days within a week.
	The number and proportion of staff the Department's Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies working flexibly or part time are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Executive agencies 
			   Number of staff working flexibly or part time  Percentage of staff working flexibly or part time 
			 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (1)76 7.5 
			 NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) 22 14.9 
			 (1) All of NHS PASA's full-time staff, below senior civil service level, are entitled to work using flexitime. NHS PASA follows DH policy on flexible working, offering staff the opportunity to job share, work compressed hours, work from home and the use of flexitime. 
		
	
	
		
			  Executive non-departmental public bodies 
			   Number of staff working flexibly or part time  Percentage of staff working flexibly or part time 
			 Appointments Commission 10 15.2 
			 Alcohol Education Research Council 2 66.7 
			 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence 1 5.6 
			 Care Quality Commission 229 part time 1,113 in receipt of home worker's allowance 69.6 
			 General Social Care Council 38 17.7 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 13 14.9 
			 Health Protection Agency (1)783 part time 19.3 
			 Human Tissue Authority 2 3.7 
			 Monitor 6 6.1 
			 Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board 10 15.6 
			 (1) The HPA does not have data that cover all aspects of their flexible working, however, HPA policy on flexible working includes part-time working, job share, staggered hours, annualised hours and compressed hours.

Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what areas his Department has identified where it would be clinically inappropriate to substitute a branded medicine for a generic version; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department plans to take to assess the effect on patient safety of proposals to introduce automatic generic substitution.

Mike O'Brien: The Department is currently refining its proposals for the implementation of generic substitution and expects to formally consult before the end of the year. Patient safety will be paramount in taking forward the work on generic substitution and an impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation document.

General Practitioners: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average distance travelled for an out-of-hours GP appointment was in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for an out-of-hours GP appointment was in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not held centrally.

General Practitioners: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to GP services in Staffordshire.

Mike O'Brien: In the Operating Framework for the National Health Service 2009-10 primary care trusts (PCTs), including those in Staffordshire, were asked to ensure that they achieve and maintain the minimum standards set the previous year, and also to make ongoing progress. This includes increasing the level, quality and range of services in primary care, particularly in under-provisioned areas; ensuring that general practitioner (GP) practices' opening hours reflect patient needs; that patients have guaranteed access to a GP within 48 hours and can book appointments further ahead.
	North Staffordshire PCT is providing one GP health centre. The Midway medical and walk-in centre in Newcastle under Lyme opened to the public in March 2009. South
	Staffordshire PCT has procured one new GP health centre, which opened in Tamworth in March 2009. Stoke PCT expects to open its GP health centre in the new year in Hanley.

Generic Prescribing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been put in place to ensure effective treatment based on individual medical history is provided under proposals for automatic generic substitution of medicines; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Clinicians should normally take an individual's medical history into account when making decisions on their treatment for reasons of best practice and patient safety. The planned implementation of generic substitution will not change this.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which animal studies of the effects of links between genetically modified foods and changes in the kidney, pancreas and spleen his Department has considered in the last two years.

Gillian Merron: The Food Standards Agency has sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) regarding what conclusions may be drawn from the following publications:
	Malatesta et al., (2008), Histochem Cell Biol, 130, pp967-977
	Kilic and Akay, (2008), Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46, pp1164-1170
	The ACNFP considered this publication at its meeting in February 2009. It advised that it was not possible to draw any conclusions about cause and effect or to assess the significance of this report for human health. The minutes of this meeting are available on the ACNFP website at:
	www.acnfp.gov.uk/meetings/acnfpmeet09/acnfpfeb09/acnfpmin190209

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which studies of intestinal damage in animals that have been fed genetically modified foods his Department has considered in the last two years; and whether he has made an assessment of the implications for  (a) proliferative cell growth and  (b) intestinal immune systems in humans of the findings of those studies.

Gillian Merron: The Food Standards Agency has sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) regarding what conclusions may be drawn from the following publication:
	Finamore et al., (2008), J Agric Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/jf802059w
	The ACNFP considered this publication at its meeting in February 2009. It advised that it was not possible to draw any conclusions about cause and effect or to assess the significance of this report for human health. The minutes of this meeting are available on the ACNFP website at:
	www.acnfp.gov.uk/meetings/acnfpmeet09/acnfpfeb09/acnfpminl90209

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which published scientific papers his Department has taken into account in the formulation of its policy on human consumption of genetically modified foods.

Gillian Merron: An extensive review of the science relating to genetically modified crops and food was undertaken in 2003 by the GM Science Review Panel. The panel's reports were published in June 2003 and January 2004 and these include extensive bibliographies listing the published papers and reports that were taken into account. These reports can be found at the GM Science Review website at:
	www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk/

Health Services: Expenditure

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public expenditure on healthcare was as a proportion of gross domestic product in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Public expenditure on health care as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) 
			   Public spending as a percentage of GDP 
			  Cash  
			 1997-98 5.3 
			   
			  Accruals  
			 1998-99 5.3 
			 1999-2000 5.2 
			 2000-01 5.5 
			 2001-02 5.8 
			 2002-03 6.1 
			 2003-04 6.5 
			 2004-05 6.8 
			 2005-06 7.1 
			 2006-07 7.0 
			 2007-08 7.2 
			 2008-09 7.7 
			  Source: Public Spending-Table 4.2/Table 4.4 HM Treasury PESA 2009

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how often the implementation group to monitor referrals from overseas has met to date;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance for transplant centres on the eligibility criteria of people from abroad;
	(3)  what steps he has taken at EU level to build capacity in transplant programmes in EU member states; and what discussions he or his officials have had with counterparts in  (a) France,  (b) Germany,  (c) Netherlands,  (d) Italy,  (e) Portugal,  (f) Malta,  (g) Greece,  (h) the Czech Republic,  (i) Hungary,  (j) Bulgaria,  (k) Cyprus,  (l) Slovenia,  (m) Denmark,  (n) Norway,  (o) Bosnia-Herzegovina,  (p) Serbia,  (q) Croatia and  (r) Gibraltar on the matter;
	(4)  what progress has been made towards getting agreement from devolved health administrations to ban all private clinical practice in the UK involving solid organs donated after death within the NHS.

Ann Keen: In response to the independent report on the Allocation of Organs to Non UK Residents published by the former Chair of the Organ Donation taskforce, Elizabeth Buggins, on 31 July 2009, the Department wrote to health Ministers in health administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ask them to accept the recommendations. We continue to work with officials from these health Departments and to address all legal and practical issues to obtain their agreement to implement the recommendations
	In particular, an implementation group comprising commissioners of transplant services and representatives from NHS Blood and Transplant and the transplant communities, has been established to consider each of the eight recommendations within the Report. The Group has met on three occasions, most recently on 23 November 2009 and considered how each recommendation should be implemented. Guidance on the eligibility of patients who are resident abroad is in preparation. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House on completion.
	Departmental officials continue to work with representatives from all European Union member states as part of the implementation of a six year programme of work (2009-15) with 10 priority actions addressing the three key challenges in organ donation and transplantation around the quality and safety of organs across Europe; increasing organ availability; and making transplant systems more efficient and accessible. This will inform whether we need to widen discussions to encompass non EU states.

HIV Infection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people living with HIV who have not yet been diagnosed;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who have  (a) been tested for HIV,  (b) been diagnosed with HIV and  (c) developed AIDS in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with HIV who previously resided in countries in  (a) the EU,  (b) the Americas,  (c) Africa,  (d) Asia and  (e) Australasia;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with HIV who contracted the infection overseas in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: In 2008, there were an estimated 83,000 people living with HIV (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) in the United Kingdom, of which 27 per cent. (22,400) were estimated to be unaware of their infection.
	Information available on the number of people who have been tested for HIV in each of the last five years is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) setting  Antenatal setting 
			 2004 520,278 - 
			 2005 628,948 508,634 
			 2006 712,194 595,085 
			 2007 849,194 647,867 
			 2008 951,148 - 
			 Total 3,661,762 1,751,586 
		
	
	The number of individuals diagnosed with HIV and the numbers of individuals who have had a first AIDS diagnosis in the last five years is provided in the following table.(1)
	(1) Diagnoses are from reports received to end June 2009.
	
		
			   HIV diagnosis  First AIDS diagnosis 
			 2004 7,849 974 
			 2005 7,975 920 
			 2006 7,608 828 
			 2007 7,495 748 
			 2008 7,298 611 
			 Total 38,225 4,081 
		
	
	Data on HIV infections by previous country of residence are not collected. Data for 2008 are available by region of birth(1) and are shown in the following table.
	(1)European classification is based on Unite Nations/World Health Organization regions.
	
		
			  Region of birth  2008  (Percentage) 
			 UK 38 
			 Europe (excluding UK) 9.6 
			 America 5.9 
			 Africa 41 
			 Asia 4.0 
			 Australasia 1.2 
		
	
	The number of people in the UK newly diagnosed with HIV in 2008 was 7,298 of which an estimated 51 per cent. (3,750) acquired their infection overseas.
	 Note: Data are from reports received to end June 2009. Further reports may be received.
	 Source: Health Protection Agency.

HIV Infection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage HIV testing among  (a) high risk and  (b) other groups.

Gillian Merron: Reducing undiagnosed HIV is a key priority for the Department. We fund the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network for national HIV health promotion programmes for gay men and people from African communities living in England, the two groups at highest risk of HIV in England. These programmes include interventions which encourage HIV testing.
	More generally, we introduced the offer and recommendation of an HIV test to all pregnant women as part of their routine ante-natal care in 1999. This has resulted in 95 per cent. uptake of HIV testing in this group in 2008. HIV testing is also routine in sexual health clinics.
	We are also funding eight pilot projects to test the feasibility and acceptability of offering routine HIV testing in hospital departments, general practitioner practices and community social settings. Results from these pilots will be analysed to determine whether further work is needed.
	We have also funded detailed guidance produced by the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health, Tackling HIV Testing: Increasing detection and diagnosis, published in October 2009. The chief medical officer has also written to medical colleges and faculties seeking their views on how best to increase awareness of offering HIV testing in all relevant healthcare settings.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care trusts met his Department's target of screening all elective patients for MRSA by March 2009.

Ann Keen: By the end of March 2009, all national health service trusts had confirmed with their primary care trusts that they are screening relevant elective admissions for methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in line with the Department's guidance. Screening relevant emergency admissions is being introduced as soon as possible and will be in place by the end of March 2011 at the latest. Screening admissions for MRSA reduces the likelihood of a patient developing a clinical infection or passing it on to others in hospital who may be vulnerable.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to publish figures on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections in each hospital.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently reviewing surveillance policy for healthcare associated infections.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department has not incurred any clamping costs either on privately or publicly owned land.
	The Department's expenses guide states that it will not pay any penalty imposed under the Road Traffic Acts or any associated expense arising from a traffic accident or offence, neither will it reimburse any parking fines.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on public health of emissions from a functioning incinerator;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2209W, on infant mortality: incineration, what recent assessment his Department has made of the correlation between the presence of a functioning incinerator and the incidence of infant mortality in that area.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no recent assessments of the effect on public health of emissions from incinerators, or the effects on infant mortality.
	The health protection agency (HPA) recently reviewed the latest research on the impact on health of emissions to air from modern municipal waste incinerators and published a statement in September 2009. It concluded that, while it is not possible to rule out adverse health effects completely, any potential damage from modern, well-run and regulated incinerators is likely to be so small that it would be undetectable. The advice is available on the agency's website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebHPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1251473372175
	The HPA also advised that studies of public health around modern, well managed municipal waste incinerators are not recommended, since any possible health effects are likely to be small.

Incontinence: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, column 104W, on incontinence: children, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision for children's continence services in the last five years; and what plans exist to assess them in the next five years with particular reference to assessing  (a) the extent of implementation of the guidance on integrated or joined-up continence services referred to in the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity and  (b) the effect of the Continence Exemplar published by his Department.

Ann Keen: It is for strategic health authorities working together with primary care trusts and local authorities to ensure that adequate services are available, taking into account the guidance given in the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services. The Continence Exemplar provides those designing services locally an example of how an integrated service might work with a child with incontinence issues but no other underlying condition. Future exemplars will show how services might work with children who have physical or learning difficulties as well as problems with continence.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been admitted to each hospital trust in Hampshire with  (a) stab wounds and  (b) gunshot wounds in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: A table providing information finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the external cause code related to assault by gunshot or sharp object has been placed in the Library. This excludes the knife and gun injuries which are classified as accidents, intentional self-harm and undetermined intent.
	Reference should be made to the footnotes and clinical codes when interpreting the data.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) men and  (b) women have been admitted to hospital with (i) stab wounds and (ii) gunshot wounds in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: A table providing information on the number of finished admission episodes where the external cause code related to assaults by gunshot or sharp object has been placed in the Library. This excludes assault by gunshot and sharp object which are classified as accidents, intentional self-harm and for which the intent is undetermined. Reference should be made to the footnotes and the clinical coding when interpreting the data.

Learning Disability: Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) women and  (b) women with a learning disability have received (i) breast and (ii) cervical cancer screening in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of women that were screened under the NHS Breast Screening Programme and the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England in each year from 1996-97 until 2008-09.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Women (aged 45 and over) screened under the NHS Breast Screening Programme  Women (all ages) screened under the NHS Cervical Screening Programme 
			 1996-97 1,109,845 3,775,582 
			 1997-98 1,179,658 3,905,936 
			 1998-99 1,232,310 3,810,034 
			 1999-2000 1,322,891 3,766,396 
			 2000-01 1,298,752 3,633,479 
			 2001-02 1,274,465 3,879,614 
			 2002-03 1,347,378 3,689,147 
			 2003-04 1,419,219 3,613,381 
			 2004-05 1,477,844 3,638,868 
			 2005-06 1,626,597 3,614,112 
			 2006-07 1,642,755 3,370,846 
			 2007-08 1,713,200 3,374,826 
			 2008-09 (1)- 3,728,052 
			 (1) Not yet available.  Source: NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care. 
		
	
	The number of women with learning difficulties screened each year is not identified within the data collection for either screening programme.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) median and  (b) mean waiting time for patients to see mental health specialists as (i) an out-patient first attendance and (ii) an in-patient admission was in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Data are not collected by the Department for in-patient or out-patient waiting times in mental health services.
	Referrals by general practitioners to mental health consultants are included in the 18-week waiting time target for out-patients. However, most referrals are to multidisciplinary teams, not to consultants, and most patients are treated outside of hospital in primary care settings. The 18-week target does not apply to primary care mental health activity and this standard is not a robust indicator of access to mental health services.
	For mental health in-patients, the Information Centre for health and social care collects hospital episode statistics on waiting times, but only for the 10 per cent. of finished admission episodes which are planned. Around 90 per cent. of mental health in-patient finished admission episodes are emergencies, and for which waiting times data are not collected. The data available do not indicate waiting times for in-patient mental health services accurately and are not used by the Department.

Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the potential effects on a person's mental health of trends in geographical mobility.

Phil Hope: The Department has no current plans to commission research on the potential effects on a person's mental health of trends in geographical mobility.

Mentally Ill: Children

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1031W, on mentally ill children, if he will place in the Library a copy of the figures for the 2008 calendar year.

Phil Hope: This information is not available. NHS Prescription Services cannot supply exemption category data, e.g. children under 16, after December 2007 because the processes for pricing prescriptions and for capturing prescription charge exemption status has changed. Therefore, NHS Prescription Services cannot reliably estimate the data for each exemption category relating to the age of the patient from that date.

Mentally Ill: Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides for mentally ill female offenders.

Phil Hope: Primary care trusts commission mental health services for women in prisons that are equivalent to those provided in the community. Most services are provided by prison primary care staff, with more specialist services provided by in reach teams. When prisoners mental health problems require them to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act they are transferred to appropriate clinical settings.
	Improving Health, Supporting Justice: The National Delivery Plan of The Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board was published on 17 November 2009 and a copy has been placed in the Library. It includes plans to improve mental health services for offenders and a commitment that priorities for women will be described in a women's programme document to be published shortly.

NHS: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS services are fully funded during the recession.

Mike O'Brien: We are increasing allocations to primary care trusts by 5.5 per cent. in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, making over £8 billion in new resources available for the national health service. The Government have not yet taken decisions on funding for the NHS for 2011-12 onwards. That will be decided as part of the next spending review.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to ensure that the Cerner software system at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust does not encounter post-installation problems similar to those which arose at Barts and the London NHS Trust and at Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: While not all problems experienced following the earlier installations in London were due to the Cerner Millennium system, initial experience with the new systems was not without difficulties. However, although the scale of the challenge in implementing complex information technology systems into acute trusts must not be underestimated, significant progress has also since been made.
	The approach being taken at Kingston hospital NHS trust has been informed by the lessons learnt from the improvement programmes undertaken over the past year at the existing sites in London that are live with the Cerner system.

NHS: Redundancy

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many redundancies are planned to be made by each hospital trust in the South East between 24 November 2009 and 31 March 2010.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for the local national health service to plan and develop health services to meet the needs of the local population.

NHS: Training

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of protected training time for  (a) healthcare assistants and  (b) nurses.

Ann Keen: Employers have a duty to ensure staff have the appropriate education and training to deliver priorities and services and this is supported through the NHS constitution staff pledges.
	Employers make local decisions on the amount of time made available to allow staff to access continuing professional development such as training courses or learning opportunities. Continuing professional development needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses.

Nurses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department plans to give to the Royal College of Nursing's Nursing counts campaign.

Ann Keen: The Department does not plan to give any direct support to the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) campaign. However, the areas outlined in the campaign are included in current policy. Ministers and Department officials and RCN officials meet formally and informally to discuss policy at all stages of development. We remain committed to involving the RCN as appropriate, and to seek their views and opinions on matters of importance.

Nurses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the drop-out rate of student nurses; and if he will take steps to increase the level of support given to student nurses.

Ann Keen: The Department has been working with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) to reduce attrition from training programmes by improving the quality of education and training for nurses and other health professionals. The contract between SHAs and HEIs includes a financial incentive to reduce the level of attrition from pre-registration nursing courses, so that two per cent. of the funding for HEIs is reliant on meeting targets to reduce attrition. An additional three per cent. of the funding is reliant on effective education commissioning and innovation. This includes demonstrating the quality of the education and support provided to students. As part of the Education Commissioning for Quality project within the Department we aim to support further improvements in education commissioning by SHAs, including further refinements to the contractual incentives for HEIs.
	The current system of financial support for student nurses is also being reviewed, primarily to remove the anomaly between the support available to degree and diploma students, but also to consider the best way of providing support to students. We are currently consulting on a number of options for alternative ways to provide financial support and expect to take a decision on a new system early in 2010.

Nurses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the provision of  (a) school nurses and  (b) health awareness campaigns in schools.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local authorities, strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, and to commission services accordingly There are about 3,000 secondary schools. The 2008 NHS Workforce Census shows there were 3,645 qualified nurses in school nursing areas (headcount equivalent), an increase of 1,234 or 51 per cent. since 2004.
	In relation to health awareness campaigns, we continue to support the uptake of the Healthy Schools programme in all maintained schools in England and 99 per cent. of all schools are currently participating.

Obesity

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward plans to extend Change4Life to include adults; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: In the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, One Year On report (published April 2009) a commitment was made to extend Change4Life activity to reach at risk adults within the next 12 months.
	We are planning to launch the campaign for adults in February 2010.

Obesity: Health Services

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many specialist weight management services there are in England;
	(2)  what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of specialist obesity services in England;
	(3)  what the average waiting time was for referral to a specialist weight management service in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The Department does not hold information on the number of specialist weight management service providers, nor the average waiting time for patients who are referred to a specialist weight management service. It is up to primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission weight management services according to their local needs.
	The Department has not undertaken a formal assessment of specialist obesity services. However, earlier this year we produced a list of nine pre-qualified providers to help PCTs procure child weight management services. As part of this process, providers were assessed against agreed criteria. These providers cover a range of areas across England.
	In addition, we would expect PCTs to ensure that all weight management services that PCTs commission are compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children.

Obesity: Health Services

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Clinical Guideline 43: Obesity; and what support has been provided to assist  (a) practitioners and  (b) commissioners in implementing the guideline.

Gillian Merron: Compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines is a developmental standard for national health service organisations and they are expected to work towards their full implementation over time using available resources. NICE has published a range of tools to support implementation of its clinical guideline on obesity including a commissioning guide on bariatric surgery and a costing tool to better assess the cost to implement the guidance locally.
	As part of the implementation of our obesity strategy we have published several documents to assist both practitioners and commissioners to prevent and manage obesity. This includes Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Child Weight Management Programme and Training Providers Framework; Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A toolkit for developing local strategies; and Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Commissioning Weight Management Services for Children and Young People. These publications have been placed in the Library.
	These publications refer to the NICE guidelines, so that people who are involved in developing strategies to prevent and manage obesity are aware of available guidelines in this area.

Obesity: Health Services

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations Ministers in his Department have had from organisations on obesity policy and treatment in the last three years.

Gillian Merron: In the past three years, Ministers have received numerous pieces of correspondence on obesity policy and treatment from a range of organisations which include primary care trusts, local authorities, supermarkets, food manufacturers, trade associations, charities, non-government organisations, weight management providers, and academic institutions.

Obesity: Health Services

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which obesity and weight management services Ministers in his Department have visited in the last three years.

Gillian Merron: Obesity and weight management are priorities that the Secretary of State for Health (SofS) and the Minister for Public Health cover.
	Following is a list of obesity and weight management services that SofS and MS(PH) have visited between 25 November 2006 and 27 November 2009:
	 Secretary of State for Health (SofS)
	MEND programme, Sobelle Leisure Centre, Islington-to see the delivery of the MEND programme
	Grassroots-Community Food Enterprise (CFE), Community Centre, London-Change for Life visit involved filming SofS outside mobile food store and meeting some volunteers.
	 Minister of State for Public Health MS(PH)
	Sure Start Centre, Jacqueline Du Pre Court Sheltered Housing Accommodation, Brighton-viewed Active for Life sessions in action, met residents and local workers and spoke to participants at an Active for Life Yoga Session.
	Weight Management Programme, Ropewalks GP Practice, Liverpool-met staff and participants, met with family participating in programme.
	Obesity in Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University Sport and Exercise Centre-met staff and participants.
	The Kids Cookery School, London-tour of premises, met Hammersmith PCT Nutritional Consultant and toured school facilities.
	Stourbridge Health and Social Care Centre, West Midlands-met with representatives from all organisations involved in centre; met healthy eating, stop smoking and physical activity teams.
	Weight Management Clinic, Brickfields Sports Centre, Devonport-met with patients beginning weight management programme; staff engagement, met with patients and staff to discuss public health issues.
	Ashton Gate Primary School Kellogg's Breakfast Club, Bristol-part of the Change for Life campaign-met with staff and teachers that hold and attend the breakfast club.
	Pompey Study and Beneficial Centre, Portsmouth-met the Portsmouth Health Trainers and the children involved in Kick-start Health' activities relating to healthy eating.
	Royal Surrey County Hospital, Surrey-visited the DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating) diet course for people with type 1 diabetes and talk about the trust's obesity service bid.
	Cycling town/city-Cycle path scheme, Southend-visited three services: a cycle path scheme outside Southend High School. The scheme is an example of how Southend is encouraging cycling by creating a network of cycle paths; Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust-Cycling initiatives-short tour to demonstrate the planned increase in the number of cycle spaces; and Earls Hall School-Bike it scheme-Bikeability scheme Level 1 demonstration and Go ride demonstration.
	Community School in Swindon to visit MEND, (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition... Do It!), 7 to 13-year-old child and family weight management programme. To meet Emma Creighton the Swindon MEND programme manager, who will talk about the MEND programme and introduce the Minister to MEND staff and families taking part in the course.

Patients: Per Capita Costs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the net expenditure per 100,000 unified weighted population was for each primary care trust on treatment for  (a) cancer and tumours and  (b) mental health in each year since 2003-04.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who applied for free prescriptions in the last 12 months specified cancer on their claim for an exemption certificate; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Cancer patients were able to apply for medical exemption certificates (which entitle them to exemption from prescription charges) from the end of January 2009, although these certificates were not valid until 1 April 2009. From this date until 23 November 2009, the number of valid prescription charge certificate applications processed by NHS Business Services Authority in England, for cancer patients resident in England, where cancer was the only medical condition ticked on the FP92A application form, was almost 70,000.

Screening

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of women were provided with the result of a cervical screening test within 14 days in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to increase the cervical cancer screening participation rate among women in the 25 to 35 years age group.

Ann Keen: Under the national health service Cervical Screening programme, test results were available for 21.4 per cent. of women within two weeks in 2008-09. For the same period, test results were available within four weeks for 65.5 per cent. of women.
	The Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) said that all women should receive the results of their cervical screening test within 2 weeks by 2010. Advice on achieving the 14-day turnaround time was issued to the cervical screening service in April 2008.
	NHS Improvement has since been working with 10 local screening programmes to streamline the whole pathway from initial test to getting the results using Lean processes. So far, the project has been a success, and a second wave of sites is due to begin in early 2010.
	In 2008-09, for the first time since 2002, coverage rates across England increased, with this increase being most prominent among 25 to 49-year-olds. As cervical screening coverage had been falling steadily in women aged 25 to 35 for some years, NHS Cancer Screening programmes commissioned the Improvement Foundation to undertake work at a local level to target this age group. The Improvement Foundation has been working with six primary care trusts to look into ways in which cervical screening uptake can be improved in women under 35. The lessons learned from this project, which is currently being evaluated, will be rolled out across the cervical screening service if successful.
	We will continue to monitor levels of cervical screening coverage through the Office for National Statistics/NHS Information Centre for health and social care annual cervical screening programme statistical bulletin.
	NHS Cancer Screening programmes have already produced posters specifically targeting women in the age range of 25 to 35.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the outcomes of his Department's consultation on ordinary residence guidance before 1 January 2010.

Phil Hope: We intend to publish the outcomes of the consultation on ordinary residence guidance early in the new year.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the financial position of South London Healthcare NHS Trust.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has assessed South London Healthcare NHS Trust as financially 'underperforming' in the results of The NHS Performance Framework for Quarter 1 for 2009-10.
	The Department will be seeking assurance that strategic health authority and primary care trust commissioners have taken appropriate steps to engage with those organisations categorised as being 'underperforming'.

Tobacco

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to monitor the use of each smokeless tobacco product which is  (a) legally and  (b) illegally available;
	(2)  whether he plans to take steps to seek to reduce the health effects of tobacco products on those adults who continue to use them;
	(3)  if he will commission a full scientific review of the effects on health of tobacco products which are  (a) smoked and  (b) not smoked for the purposes of developing his Department's planned tobacco control strategy; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what subjects he plans to include in his Department's tobacco control strategy.

Gillian Merron: The Government will publish a new tobacco control strategy before the end of this year. This strategy will include action to:
	stop the inflow of young people being recruited as smokers
	assist smokers to quit
	protect families and communities
	The strategy will include plans to reduce harms to health caused by tobacco use.
	The Department has not commissioned specific research into the harms of smoked and smokeless tobacco, as the evidence base is already extensive. On smokeless tobacco, we have given particular consideration to the 2008 report of the European Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks titled Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products.
	The supply and marketing of certain forms of smokeless tobacco is prohibited by a European directive. While smokeless tobacco is not used extensively across the population, the Department is able to monitor use through surveys that compare smokeless tobacco use in the UK compared to other countries. In addition, the Department is working in partnership with the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services to enhance the enforcement of smokeless tobacco products with respect tobacco legislation and the payment of relevant taxes and duties.

Tobacco

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will commission research on the effects of the introduction of snus into the UK market on the incidence of smoking-associated diseases;
	(2)  what research his Department has conducted on the effects of the introduction of snus into the UK market on  (a) the level of smoking cessation,  (b) the incidence of smoking-related diseases and  (c) the prevalence of cigarette smoking;
	(3)  pursuant to the oral answer of 24 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 387-88, on smoking cessation, what the evidential basis was for his comments on the findings of the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks that the benefits of smokeless tobacco products outweigh the risks for those switching to smokeless tobacco from conventional tobacco.

Ann Keen: The marketing and supply of oral smokeless tobacco is prohibited across the European Union, including in the United Kingdom.
	The Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), an official independent committee that provides the European Commission with scientific advice, has considered in detail the health effects of smokeless tobacco products. That committee concluded in their 2008 report Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products that:
	Smokeless tobacco products (STP) are addictive and their use is hazardous to health. STP contain various levels of toxic substances. Evidence on the effectiveness of STP as a smoking cessation aid is insufficient, and relative trends in progression from STP into and from smoking differ between countries. It is thus not possible to extrapolate the patterns of tobacco use from one country where oral tobacco is available to other countries due to societal and cultural differences (p. 12).
	The Department has considered the SCENIHR report carefully and believe the risks of promoting the use of smokeless tobacco are significant.
	Furthermore, pursuant to the hon. Member's statement during health oral answers of 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 387, the World Health Organization does not endorse the use of snus, or any other smokeless tobacco product, as a harm reduction strategy.
	We will therefore continue to encourage tobacco users to use safer means to stop, including licensed nicotine replacement medicines.
	Given the risks of using smokeless tobacco, the Department has not undertaken any research into the impacts of snus in the UK, and has no plans to commission any such research in the future.

Wycombe Hospital: Childbirth

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies have been delivered at  (a) Wycombe Hospital and  (b) Stoke Mandeville Hospital in each month since January 2006.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many babies have been delivered at (a) Wycombe Hospital and (b) Stoke Mandeville Hospital in each month since January 2006. (302151)
	Figures for births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	The table below shows the number of live births by month in 2006 and 2007 for the two hospitals requested, according to registration data. For 2008, the total number of live births in each hospital during the year is provided, as births by month are not yet available for 2008.
	
		
			  Live births occurring in selected hospitals, 2006-08 
			   Wycombe hospital  Stoke Mandeville hospital 
			   2006  2007  2008  2006  2007  2008 
			 January 225 217 - 205 198 - 
			 February 229 188 - 187 180 - 
			 March 231 207 - 212 203 - 
			 April 216 223 - 224 241 - 
			 May 220 215 - 226 201 - 
			 June 203 216 - 223 214 - 
			 July 235 211 - 221 236 - 
			 August 236 260 - 233 251 - 
			 September 238 200 - 225 227 - 
			 October 243 251 - 245 215 - 
			 November 217 212 - 204 217 - 
			 December 199 174 - 213 212 - 
			 Total 2,692 2,574 2,728 2,618 2,595 2,744

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Bankruptcy

Jim Cousins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bankruptcies of individuals in each age group there were in  (a) each region of England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Ian Lucas: The Insolvency Service is responsible for reporting on insolvent individuals in England and Wales only, therefore it is not possible to provide an answer to parts  (c) and  (d) of the question.
	In answer to parts  (a) and  (b), the number of bankruptcies by age group and region can be seen in tables 1 to 5.
	
		
			  Table 1: Bankruptcies in 2004 by region and age group 
			   Age group( 1) 
			  Region( 2)  Unknown age  =24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 Unknown area 260 115 514 532 376 185 48 
			 East Midlands 151 219 710 724 424 226 56 
			 East of England 188 292 1,072 1,146 673 375 103 
			 London 555 166 860 1,141 674 342 112 
			 North East 161 131 422 463 270 155 53 
			 North West 246 262 875 1055 698 387 126 
			 South East 372 386 1,471 1,671 966 541 147 
			 South West 272 434 1,233 1,272 723 431 114 
			 Wales 84 118 382 428 249 165 61 
			 West Midlands 218 271 858 920 570 297 74 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 255 254 922 1,025 583 301 89 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (increasing from 92.3 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2 )Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Bankruptcies in 2005 by region and age group 
			   Age group( 1) 
			  Region( 2)  Unknown age  =24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 Unknown area 273 151 589 675 405 188 48 
			 East Midlands 276 290 892 970 585 326 107 
			 East of England 274 410 1,423 1,605 932 528 174 
			 London 547 221 1,208 1,557 1,078 495 220 
			 North East 328 169 498 523 364 202 72 
			 North West 417 303 1,035 1,318 884 537 166 
			 South East 478 528 1,856 2,216 1,301 741 219 
			 South West 367 570 1,725 1,842 1,036 631 173 
			 Wales 136 160 475 532 344 207 52 
			 West Midlands 312 329 1,094 1,151 743 424 109 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 312 367 1,049 1,201 775 428 130 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (increasing from 92.3 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2 )Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Bankruptcies in 2006 by region and age group 
			   Age group( 1) 
			  Region( 2)  Unknown age  =24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 Unknown area 262 164 636 802 475 252 68 
			 East Midlands 332 326 1,186 1,306 840 477 130 
			 East of England 306 488 1,774 2,064 1,349 775 262 
			 London 472 214 1,448 2,204 1,427 725 281 
			 North East 310 234 739 801 539 275 115 
			 North West 575 379 1,572 1,951 1,261 798 305 
			 South East 665 598 2,436 2,820 1,753 1,005 345 
			 South West 317 633 2,229 2,353 1,398 863 260 
			 Wales 210 196 695 781 507 294 110 
			 West Midlands 425 379 1,448 1,699 1,015 608 196 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 426 395 1,376 1,751 1,080 590 190 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (increasing from 92.3 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2 )Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Bankruptcies in 2007 by region and age group 
			   Age group( 1) 
			  Region( 2)  Unknown age  =24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 Unknown area 240 114 548 700 448 220 66 
			 East Midlands 351 271 1,253 1,540 1,023 561 204 
			 East of England 292 361 1,768 2,198 1,435 811 279 
			 London 409 170 1,391 2,069 1,478 800 311 
			 North East 382 191 844 923 619 350 125 
			 North West 678 328 1,565 2,191 1,467 890 337 
			 South East 668 419 2,333 2,909 1,896 1,042 377 
			 South West 356 458 2,063 2,310 1,443 827 287 
			 Wales 280 149 699 890 505 344 104 
			 West Midlands 482 314 1,551 1,738 1,093 581 197 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 382 312 1,481 1,793 1,121 645 217 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (increasing from 92.3 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2 )Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Bankruptcies in 2008 by region and age group 
			   Age group( 1) 
			  Region( 2)  Unknown age  =24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 Unknown area 197 110 526 672 438 243 67 
			 East Midlands 402 272 1,456 1,779 1,100 581 220 
			 East of England 266 331 1,867 2,331 1,468 805 278 
			 London 424 128 1,292 2,033 1,562 761 297 
			 North East 414 226 910 1,104 724 350 125 
			 North West 686 311 1,829 2,351 1,718 915 322 
			 South East 638 369 2,146 2,762 2,038 1,019 355 
			 South West 407 394 1,974 2,448 1,594 895 325 
			 Wales 211 156 819 978 656 364 140 
			 West Midlands 513 297 1,498 1,889 1,196 631 209 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 309 331 1,623 2,019 1,422 692 257 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid date of birth (increasing from 92.3 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 93.4 per cent. in 2008). (2 )Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008).

British Petroleum

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates representatives of his Department and its predecessors have met executives of BP plc in each year since 2002.

Patrick McFadden: Representatives of the Department regularly meet with a range of companies. However, the Department does not have a central record of the dates when meetings with executives of BP plc have taken place. To separately identify them over the specified period of time would incur disproportionate cost.

Broadband

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding is available to provide access to broadband in local community facilities.

Stephen Timms: This Department has no dedicated funding set aside to provide access to broadband in local community facilities. Working with partners, however, it does help provide access to the internet in local communities. For example, this Department, with DCSF, provides funds of up to £10 million per year to UK Online Centres. These centres use a variety of facilities, with 82 per cent. located in areas of high deprivation. These funds provide people with help and support to access and use computers and the internet.

Broadband: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of residents in Herefordshire have access to a broadband with a speed of  (a) 0 to two,  (b) three to five,  (c) six to 10,  (d) 11 to 15,  (e) 16 to 20,  (f) 21 to 25,  (g) 26 to 30,  (h) 31 to 35,  (i) 36 to 40,  (j) 41 to 45,  (k) 46 to 50,  (l) 51 to 55 and  (m) 55 Mbps and above.

Stephen Timms: This information is not available.

Business: Fraud

Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the risk to the directors of defunct companies of identity theft from the data held on the Companies House register.

Ian Lucas: The particulars of directors held on the public record under the Companies Act 2006 are the minimum necessary to ensure that third parties, including enforcement agencies, can hold directors to account. The information is needed equally for the directors of defunct companies as their responsibilities do not cease when a company is struck off or dissolved.

Business: Government Assistance

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in each location in each region of the country have received assistance from their Regional Development Agency's small business loan fund; and how much on average each such business received.

Rosie Winterton: There is no product called a small business loan fund offered by the Regional Development Agencies.
	Regional Development Agencies offer a range of measures to assist businesses. Transition Loan Funds are made available by Regional Development Agencies to viable small and medium size businesses that are having difficulty gaining access to credit.
	The Transition Loan Funds are part of the Regional Loan Funds.
	These loans make up part of the wider support offer RDAs are offering to businesses.

Business: Hungary

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will hold discussions with the government of Hungary on improving procedures in that country for the awarding of private and public sector contracts to businesses from the UK and other EU member states.

Ian Lucas: I have no immediate plans to meet with my Hungarian counterparts but will discuss these matters with them as and when the opportunities arise. The British ambassador in Budapest, in collaboration with the ambassadors of the countries responsible for the majority of investment in Hungary, has engaged frequently with the Government of Hungary on these and other issues. He will continue to do so.

Company Liquidations

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many liquidations which commenced  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15 and  (d) 20 or more years ago have not yet been finalised.

Ian Lucas: Companies House records show the number of liquidation proceedings started and not yet finalised, are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) Five years or more 19,683 
			  (b) 10 years or more 15,892 
			  (c) 15 years or more 14,088 
			  (d) 20 years or more 6,629 
		
	
	In practice, it is likely that the number of liquidation processes started during this time and remain ongoing is significantly lower than this. It would be unusual for an individual process to continue for as long 10 years or more. The implication is that, in a significant number of cases, the insolvency practitioner may not have notified Companies House that a process is complete.
	According to the case database maintained by the Insolvency Service, there are:
	 (a) 103 compulsory liquidations where the insolvency order was made more than five years ago;
	 (b) 16 compulsory liquidations where the insolvency order was made more than 10 years ago;
	 (c) nine compulsory liquidations where the insolvency order was made more than 15 years ago; and
	 (d) one compulsory liquidation where the insolvency order was made more than 20 years ago, where the official receiver has not applied for release as liquidator.

Departmental Air Travel

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 786-87W, on departmental aviation, how much his Department has spent on  (a) first and  (b) standard class air travel by (i) the Secretary of State, (ii) Ministers in his Department and (iii) departmental officials since 3 October 2008.

Patrick McFadden: The amount spent on flights by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform including the ex Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) part of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) for the period from 3 October 2008 to 7 November 2009 was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Economy/business class 3,019,448.53 
			 First class 464,440.49 
		
	
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. The Department does not hold separate records of the travel undertaken by Ministers as opposed to those undertaken by civil servants, to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.
	Cabinet Office provides an annual list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008/09 list was published on 16 July and can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations (i) he and (ii) the Secretary of State met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Patrick McFadden: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall, the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Official Gifts

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the Secretary of State has presented an official gift which was manufactured overseas in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State tries whenever possible to provide his gifts from the House of Lords gift shop.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of his Department travelled abroad with the Secretary of State on each foreign visit he has made since his appointment; and at what cost for each visit.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office published on 16 July a list of all overseas visits undertaken by Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is also available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel 2008 2009.pdf.
	The cost of accompanying private office staff is included in the annual published cost of all Ministers' visits overseas.
	All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.

Higher and Further Education: Radicalism

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many instances of extremism have been recorded as taking place on  (a) university premises and  (b) further education college premises in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: For operational reasons, we cannot release this information. Universities and colleges work closely with their local police forces and information about individuals or groups of concern is shared and recorded as appropriate.

Higher Education: Antisemitism

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many meetings have been held of the higher education sub-group of the cross-government working group on anti-Semitism; and what issues were discussed at each meeting.

David Lammy: There have been two meetings of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' 'Antisemitism and Higher Education' Group. The first meeting took place in April and discussed antisemitic incident monitoring in higher education (HE), and how this was reported by students. The second meeting took place in November and included updates from members of the Group on their wider work on equality and diversity, including tackling antisemitism, and on the recent guidance for students, 'A Student's Guide to Antisemtism on Campus', produced by the Union of Jewish Students and the Community Security Trust. Both meetings resulted in practical agreed actions which are being progressed by HE stakeholders and the Jewish community.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions Ministers have had with the Higher Education Funding Council for England on its review of teaching funding consultation.

David Lammy: Ministers have had no such discussions. The establishment of the Review is, however, consistent with the principles that we announced in Higher Ambitions, published on 3 November.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what average per-student teaching grant was received by each higher education institution in England for  (a) UK and  (b) non-UK EU undergraduate students in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: For 2009/10 the amount of teaching grant per student can be calculated as follows (see notes in table).
	
		
			   £ 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 4,662 
			 Aston University 4,304 
			 University of Bath 4,265 
			 Bath Spa University 3,981 
			 University of Bedfordshire 4,345 
			 Birkbeck College 4,753 
			 University of Birmingham 4,879 
			 Birmingham City University 4,579 
			 University College Birmingham 4,935 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln 4,221 
			 University of Bolton 5,189 
			 The Arts University College at Bournemouth 4,400 
			 Bournemouth University 4,170 
			 University of Bradford 4,683 
			 University of Brighton 4,494 
			 University of Bristol 5,589 
			 Brunei University 4,121 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 4,218 
			 University of Cambridge 4,784 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 4,016 
			 University of Central Lancashire 4,753 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 4,508 
			 University of Chester 4,073 
			 University of Chichester 4,069 
			 City University, London 4,460 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 3,032 
			 Coventry University 4,345 
			 University for the Creative Arts 4,490 
			 University of Cumbria 4,781 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 4,738 
			 De Montfort University 4,383 
			 University of Derby 4,345 
			 University of Durham 3,862 
			 University of East Anglia 4,581 
			 University of East London 4,656 
			 Edge Hill University 4,519 
			 Institute of Education 4,855 
			 University of Essex 3,827 
			 University of Exeter 4,086 
			 University College Falmouth 4,061 
			 University of Gloucestershire 3,887 
			 Goldsmiths College, University of London 3,924 
			 University of Greenwich 4,870 
			 Guildhall School of Music and Drama 4,650 
			 Harper Adams University College 5,814 
			 University of Hertfordshire 4,138 
			 Heythrop College 3,237 
			 University of Huddersfield 4,624 
			 University of Hull 4,292 
			 Imperial College London 7,181 
			 Keele University 4,722 
			 University of Kent 3,812 
			 King's College London 6,976 
			 Kingston University 4,721 
			 Lancaster University 3,531 
			 University of Leeds 4,690 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 4,027 
			 Leeds College of Music 4,138 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 3,760 
			 University of Leicester 4,719 
			 University of Lincoln 4,085 
			 University of Liverpool 5,725 
			 Liverpool Hope University 4,089 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 4,439 
			 Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 4,122 
			 University of the Arts London 4,595 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 3,273 
			 London Metropolitan University 4,890 
			 London South Bank University 4,819 
			 Loughborough University 4,250 
			 University of Manchester 4,758 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 4,052 
			 Middlesex University 4,195 
			 University of Newcastle upon Tyne 5,043 
			 Newman University College 4,277 
			 University of Northampton 4,069 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 4,318 
			 Norwich University College of the Arts 4,423 
			 University of Nottingham 4,693 
			 Nottingham Trent University 4,124 
			 Open University 5,426 
			 School of Oriental and African Studies 3,438 
			 University of Oxford 4,333 
			 Oxford Brookes University 3,939 
			 School of Pharmacy 6,172 
			 University of Plymouth 4,706 
			 University College Plymouth St. Mark and St. John 4,074 
			 University of Portsmouth 4,065 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 6,294 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 5,634 
			 University of Reading 3,979 
			 Roehampton University 4,254 
			 Rose Bruford College 4,513 
			 Royal Academy of Music 4,366 
			 Royal Agricultural College 4,337 
			 Royal College of Music 4,369 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 3,957 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 3,969 
			 Royal Veterinary College 13,620 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 10,017 
			 St Mary's University College 4,196 
			 University of Salford 4,455 
			 University of Sheffield 4,675 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 4,182 
			 University of Southampton 4,788 
			 Southampton Solent University 4,192 
			 Staffordshire University 4,626 
			 Universities of East Anglia and Essex; Joint Provision at University Campus Suffolk 4,583 
			 University of Sunderland 5,073 
			 University of Surrey 4,035 
			 University of Sussex 3,976 
			 University of Teesside 5,079 
			 Thames Valley University 5,164 
			 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 4,635 
			 University College London 6,003 
			 University of Warwick 4,259 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 4,071 
			 University of Westminster 4,481 
			 University of Winchester 3,643 
			 University of Wolverhampton 4,886 
			 University of Worcester 4,417 
			 Writtle College 5,429 
			 University of York 3,882 
			 York St. John University 3,805 
			  Notes: 1. The rates of funding are per full-time equivalent UK/EU student for 2009/10 and reflect the standard rates of grant provided for each institution through HEFCE's main teaching grant plus those other elements of its teaching grant that can be clearly attributed to undergraduate students (funding for widening access, improving retention, foundation degrees and part-time undergraduate students). It does not include other elements of teaching grant that are calculated at the whole institution level. 2. The figures also exclude income from tuition fees, other public funders such as the NHS and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) or from other sources. 3. The main reason for variation in the rates of funding received by institutions is their mix of students between different subject areas. Hence the highest rates are received by institutions specialising in medicine or veterinary science and the lowest rates by institutions specialising in classroom-based subjects. Other causes of variation are the extent to which institutions receive funding to reflect their additional costs associated with widening participation and supporting students more at risk of not completing their studies, and their mix between full-time and part-time and between foundation degrees and other undergraduate students.

Higher Education: Radicalism

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many suspected instances of extremism have been reported by university staff as taking place on campus in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information centrally. Our guidance to Vice-Chancellors of January 2008 advised that any concerns about extremist groups or individuals should be discussed in the first instance with the university's designated police contact and decisions on appropriate action would be taken by the police in discussion with university authorities.

Insolvency

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many insolvencies started more than 15 years ago remain unresolved; and what steps he is taking to identify the reasons for the time taken to resolve such cases.

Ian Lucas: According to the case database maintained by the Insolvency Service, there are 25 bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases where the insolvency order was made more than 15 years ago where the official receiver has not applied for release as trustee or liquidator. All bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases are regularly monitored to ensure that they are progressed appropriately and administered in a timely fashion.
	There are two IVAs currently ongoing that are 15 years or more old.
	Companies House records show that for other (non compulsory) insolvencies the number starting more than 15 years ago but not concluded is 3,717.
	My noble Friend the Secretary of State has no role in monitoring the progress of insolvency cases dealt with by licensed insolvency practitioners. That is properly a matter for the creditors (or in the case of solvent liquidations, the members) and, ultimately, the courts.

Insolvency Service: Finance

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on which projects the £23,489.94 funding provided to the Insolvency Service by his Department in 2007-08 was spent other than on the Enabling the Future programme.

Ian Lucas: During the year 2007-08, £23,489.94 (the actual figure spent in 2007-08 was £23,572.22) was spent. Of this, £11,892.22 was assigned to the service's Enabling the Future (EtF) programme and £11,680 was assigned to the rest of the service to raise awareness of the agency's organisational values promoting awareness of acceptable behaviour, to ensure all staff were treated fairly at work.
	EtF is a major change programme which is enabling Insolvency Service staff to provide the best possible service to customers. It represents a major programme of investment in the service's systems and the way it works. It is aimed at: providing modern tools and processes to support the highest quality of customer service; reducing costs and so improving the value for money the service offers; and making the service a better and more rewarding place for staff to work in. The money was spent on internal publicity material designed to ensure that the changes in working practices were embedded within the organisation.
	The £11,680 assigned to the agency's organisational values includes £3,500 spent on mugs ordered by the service and issued to staff, with the agency's logo and text reading 'Your Views Matter'. The mugs were used to remind and encourage staff to complete the staff attitude survey. This is important because by seeking to increase take-up of the staff survey the service is able to develop a better understanding of staff needs in relation to performing their roles more effectively. By addressing these needs the service is able to drive up performance and provide a better service to customers. The mugs also encouraged staff to support the agency's environmental policies by using fewer disposable cups.
	Part of the figure also includes £3,000 relating to sticky note pads designed to raise awareness of the service's organisational values, promoting awareness of acceptable behaviour, to ensure all staff were treated fairly at work. This item featured the service's logo and the strapline 'Working Well Together'.
	Set out in the table is the list of promotional products purchased to raise awareness of the agency's organisational values, promoting awareness of acceptable behaviour at work.
	
		
			  Promotional item  Approximate cost (£) 
			 Sticky note pads 3,000 
			 Note Pads 400 
			 Folders 500 
			 Calendars 1,000 
			 Posters 200 
			 Leaflets 2,900 
			 Mugs 3,500 
			 Pens 180 
			 Estimated total 11,680 
		
	
	In response to my previous reply to the hon. Member on 9 September 2009,  Official Report, column 2077W, the service stated that £23,489.94 was spent on promotional products in 2007-08. The correct figure should have been £23,572.22. This figure consists of £11,892.22 on the service's EtF programme and £11,680 on the service's organisational values, the total cost of which was £23,572.22.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions officials of the Export Credit Guarantee Department have met representatives of Kellogg, Brown and Root and its subsidiaries since February 2009.

Ian Lucas: None.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Gordon of 14 December 2004,  Official Report, column 1055W, on LNG Plant (Nigeria), whether the Export Credit Guarantee Department  (a) sought and  (b) received from MW Kellogg and Kellogg, Brown and Root clarification of (i) the role and appointment of the TSKJ consortium's agent, (ii) the payment of commissions and (ii) the extent to which the companies had been in contact with the French and US investigations with regard to allegations of bribery in connection with the liquefied natural gas plant at Bonny Island in Nigeria (A) prior and (B) subsequent to its provision of guarantees.

Ian Lucas: ECGD was not provided with information about the role and appointment of the TSKJ consortium's agent prior to ECGD committing its support for the Bonny Island project. MW Kellogg Ltd., the exporter who benefited from ECGD support for the LNG project, provided a warranty to ECGD that no one, including any of its employees, acting on its behalf had engaged in corrupt activity with regard to its contract for the supply of goods and services to the TSKJ consortium. When, after ECGD had provided its support for the project, allegations of corrupt activity came to ECGD's attention, Halliburton, the parent company of Kellogg, Brown and Root, provided ECGD with information regarding the French and US investigations and said that they had been contacted by investigatory bodies in those countries. Halliburton also said that MW Kellogg Ltd. had not been involved in the payment of any agent's commission or the appointment of the TSKJ agent.

Natural Gas: Carbon Monoxide

Tom Levitt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that all registered gas fitters carry with them when working a device to detect carbon monoxide.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The carrying of carbon monoxide detection devices by registered gas fitters will be discussed at the new cross departmental gas safety group. This group will consider the experiences of gas providers in using this type of equipment before making any recommendations for future use.

Post Offices: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has allocated to post offices in  (a) urban and  (b) rural areas in each of the last 10 years.

Patrick McFadden: In the last 10 years, the Department has provided over £3.3 billion in support of the post office network. This includes the current annual £150 million subsidy which supports otherwise loss-making post offices in urban and rural areas.

Public Sector: Procurement

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms exist within his Department for companies to raise complaints regarding compliance with the rules governing EU tender processes; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The Office of Government Commerce has outlined a commitment in the 2007 paper, Transforming Government Procurement to improve professional standards, to be a more intelligent client for suppliers and for the OGC to be an avenue of recourse should these standards not be upheld. The Supplier Feedback Service was set up in order for OGC to achieve these goals.
	The role of the Supplier Feedback Service is to provide a clear, structured and direct route for suppliers to raise concerns about public procurement practice when attempts at resolving issues with a contracting authority have failed. OGC's Supplier Feedback Service will provide reasoned feedback to enquirers on their concerns and help OGC identify areas of poor procurement practice so it can work with the contracting authority to put them right, and help ensure similar cases do not arise in future.
	More widely, any UK citizen or business who feels that their access to the EU Single Market is being restricted through the mis-application of EU legislation can make a compliant to the UK SOLVIT Centre which is located in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

Shell

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates representatives of his Department and its predecessors have met Royal Dutch Shell executives in each year since 2002.

David Lammy: Representatives of the Department regularly meet with a range of companies. However, the Department does not have a central record of the dates when meetings with executives of Royal Dutch Shell have taken place. To separately identify them over the specified period of time would incur disproportionate cost.

Students: Loans

Paul Rowen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects all eligible students waiting for loan payments to have received such payments; and what assistance  (a) Student Finance England and  (b) his Department provides to students who are waiting for such payments.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures on its website to show the levels of processing and payments made for Student Finance England for the 2009-10 academic year. I am advised that the Student Finance England is currently processing paper applications received from end of October, and on-line applications received from 15 November. Student Finance England expects to clear new cases within a four to six week turnaround time, subject to receipt of the appropriate evidence.
	Every year a number of students apply after the deadline by which payment at the start of term is guaranteed. Student Finance England will have made interim payments to a number of these students to ensure that they can start their courses. In such cases, provided the applicant has supplied the relevant evidence by the end of October, Student Finance England will re-assess these applications and confirm whether any additional payments can be made, by 14 December 2009.
	I am also assured by SLC that it is working closely with student support staff in the universities to resolve issues on cases where the student has not yet received their full entitlement.

Students: Loans

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students who have had their student loan applications approved in respect of the 2009-10 academic year had not received their payments on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009/10 academic year. The information is available on the SLC website.

Students: Loans

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for student support received by the Student Loans Company in respect of the 2009-10 academic year have not been assessed on a  (a) full and  (b) interim basis; and how many such applications have not been considered on either basis.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009/10 academic year. The information is available on the SLC website.

Work Experience

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what internship schemes his Department  (a) partially and  (b) fully funds; how much his Department plans to spend on each such scheme in 2009-10; and how many places there are on each such scheme.

David Lammy: The Department has developed the Graduate Talent Pool, a one stop matching service for employers who have internships to advertise and graduates seeking suitable placements. We have so far provided funding of £1,184,000 in 2009-10 to cover infrastructure and publicity costs, and over 11,000 vacancies have been advertised on the website.
	In addition, BIS is working with the Department of Work and Pensions to deliver 5,000 graduate internship opportunities under Backing Young Britain, and with the Federation of Small Businesses and HEFCE to generate 5,000 more in small and medium sized businesses. The total cost of these places will be around £16 million. HEFCE has also funded over 2,000 graduate internship opportunities for 2009-10 through its Economic Challenges Investment Fund.